Welcome to the Family
by lghngslly09
Summary: Liza Jones and her friends return for their third year of schooling at Hogwarts. A dangerous prisoner has escaped from Azkaban, and there is a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who seems to know things about Liza that even she doesn't know... Sequel to 'The Shadow of the Past'
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: As what always happens, this chapter is fairly short because this chapter and the next were supposed to be the first chapter but it got too long. Oh well! Enjoy this first chapter! **_

_**I would suggest reading the first two stories before this one, as this is the third in the series. The first is Welcome to the World, and the second is The Shadow of the Past.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 1 – Happy Birthday, a Prisoner Has Escaped**

It had been a hot summer so far in New Jersey. July was at an end, and Elizabeth Jones—Liza, to her friends and family—was beginning to get restless. She was now a 13-year old witch, but she wasn't allowed to use magic outside of school. With no magic use and no siblings or anyone else her age around, Liza was getting very bored of her summer vacation.

This was the first summer that Liza felt stuck. She went to school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which was all the way across the ocean in England. All of her friends lived in England. Liza was the only person who attended Hogwarts that was from America, which was because she had been adopted from England by a couple who was from America.

Liza walked aimlessly from the living room into the kitchen. There was a hoot from the window nearby. Liza's parent's owl Thomas was sitting on his perch with the morning mail.

"Good morning, Thomas," she said, crossing the room to the owl. She untied the stack of letters and the few parcels from Thomas's leg and stroked his feathers. "You're so lucky you can fly," Liza continued. "I'd give anything to be able to go anywhere whenever I wanted. Or at least to use magic." She sighed before filling Thomas's food bowl for him. Then she leafed through the mail to see what was there.

"Good morning, Liza." Liza's adopted mother, Sue Jones, came into the kitchen. "Have you been awake long?"

"A while," Liza answered vaguely. Sue smiled at her daughter.

"Happy birthday," she added. "Would you like something special for breakfast?" Liza shrugged.

"Pancakes?" she asked. As Sue gathered things to make breakfast, Liza sat at the table, a pile of letters and packages in front of her.

"What's all that, then?" Sue asked, glancing over to see what Liza had.

"Birthday presents, I assume," Liza replied. She couldn't help the smile that broke out over her face, happy that her friends remembered her birthday.

"Ah, of course," Sue said. "You can have your present from your father and I tonight after he gets home from work. Your aunt sent you something as well." Liza nodded, picking up the first letter. It was from her best friend, Hermione Granger.

_Dear Liza,_

_Happy birthday!_

_I hope you are having a wonderful summer back with your parents. My parents and I are spending the next three weeks in France, which is sure to be very enjoyable, although not as much fun as I'm sure Ron is having—did you see in the _Daily Prophet_ that his family won a Galleon Draw? Their picture was in the papers and everything; I'm so jealous that he is visiting Egypt!_

_Anyways, I hope you like your present. I found it in a shop on our very first day on vacation, and I immediately thought of you! And if you don't like it, please disregard that last bit—hah!_

_Oh, Ron also mentioned that he and his family will be coming up to London the last week of summer before school starts—will you be able to make it up to Diagon Alley then? I know it's a bit more difficult for you, what with being in America and all. Talk it over with your parents, and if you can make it, I'll see you then! Otherwise, I'll see you on the train!_

_Lots of love,_

_Hermione_

Liza set aside the letter and picked up the small box that was from Hermione. She opened it and found a red and silver scarf. Embroidered on one end was a roaring lion. Liza gleefully threw it over her shoulders and turned to Sue.

"Look what Hermione got for me," she said, holding up the end so Sue could see the lion.

"That's beautiful," Sue commented.

"Also, she asked me if it were possible for me to meet them in London sometime during the last week of holidays," Liza added. Sue shrugged.

"I'm sure we can work something out," she replied. Liza, grinning, turned to the next letter, which happened to be from one of her other best friends, Harry Potter.

_Dear Liza,_

_Happy birthday! I still think it's cool that we share the same birthday; makes it really easy to remember!_

_Anyways, since I've been at the Dursleys, I've had little contact with the Wizarding World, so I wasn't able to get you a present for your birthday. However, on the Hogwarts Express, I will buy you whatever candy from the trolley that you want! I hope that makes up for not giving you a present now._

_I hope your summer has been more exciting than mine has. I'll see you on September first on the train!_

_Harry_

Liza smiled at the letter, happy to hear from her friend. She didn't care that he hadn't gotten her a birthday present; she was just relieved to have gotten a letter from him at all, considering that she hadn't received a single letter from him the previous summer.

Next in her pile of letters was from the Weasleys. The envelope was rather thick, and when she shook out the contents, she was surprised to find multiple pieces of parchment. The first thing to catch her eye was a newspaper clipping; she picked it up to see a photo of the whole family waving up at her from in front of a pyramid in Egypt. The caption on the photo explained how Mr. Weasley had won seven hundred galleons in a drawing, just as Hermione had said in her letter. The next piece of parchment Liza picked up was a letter from her friend Ron.

_Dear Liza,_

_Happy birthday!_

_I sent along the clipping from the _Daily Prophet_ because I wasn't sure if you got that in America. But can you believe it? 700 galleons! Mum and Dad have promised to buy me a new wand for next year with some of the gold, which will be nice. I've had to hide my current wand because it wouldn't stop whistling._

_Egypt has been great so far. Bill has been showing us around all the old tombs. These Egyptian wizards must have been really paranoid, because some of the curses they put on their tombs are really extravagant! People sprouting extra heads or their hands being relocated on their bodies… Some of it is really creepy. (Don't let Fred or George know that I said that.)_

_We'll be getting back the week before school starts. We're going to try to meet up with everyone in London again! I've told Harry and Hermione about it, so try to talk your folks into letting you come, too!_

_Ginny and George both wrote you letters for your birthday, by the way. They've begged me to put them in with mine, so that's what the extra bits of parchment are._

_We'll keep in touch, and hopefully see you the week before school starts in London!_

_Ron_

_P.S. Percy's been made Head Boy. He hasn't been able to shut up about it since he got his letter a week ago._

Liza picked up the other two pieces of parchment to see short birthday notes on them from Ginny and George, just as Ron had said. Then she pulled the box towards her that was labeled from the Weasleys. She opened it up to find another note on top.

_Liza,_

_This is a present from all of us to you. Hope you have a wonderful birthday, and we hope to see you soon!_

_Love,_

_Mrs. Weasley_

Inside the box was a large, leather bound book. Liza curiously opened it up and was immediately greeted with a photo of her with Ron, Hermione, and Harry that had been taken the year before. Liza leafed through the first few pages of the book, smiling at the photographs from the past couple of years. The rest of the book was blank, obviously meant for Liza to begin putting her own pictures inside.

"What's that?" Sue asked, bringing Liza a plate of pancakes.

"The Weasleys got me a photo album for my birthday," Liza replied. "Here, look." She slid the book over so her mom could take a look, while Liza took the pancakes from her.

"How thoughtful," Sue said. "That's very kind of them." Liza picked up the next letter, which was from Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts. She smoothed it out on the table to read as she ate her breakfast.

_Liza,_

_Happy birthday! Thought I'd send you a little something to make your day brighter._

_Exciting stuff is happening here. Won't say any more now, but you'll find out when you get back to school!_

_Hope your holidays have been good._

_Hagrid_

Liza opened up the package from Hagrid, smiling as soon as she knew what it was.

"Hagrid sent fudge," she said to Sue. "We'll have to make sure to soften this before anyone tries to eat it, otherwise they might break their teeth off." There was one final letter that went with a small package. Liza took one look at who it was from and practically tore it in half trying to open it.

_Dear Liza,_

_Happy birthday. I hope this reaches you on time; my mother has been nagging me nonstop about how we're on vacation so I should be spending time with my family._

_I'm in France with my mother's family again, just like last summer. It's been very boring here. I can't wait to get back to Hogwarts so I can get away from my parents and to see my friends._

_I found your present in a small Muggle shop here when I snuck away from my family for a bit. My father would be beside himself if he knew that I went to a Muggle shop, much less had some Muggle money to pay for things, but I figured that you were worth the risk. I hope you like it._

_My mother is yelling at me to go spend some time with my cousins, so I'll wrap this letter up. I hope your summer has been much better than mine has, and I'll see you on September first._

_John_

John McDevlyn was Liza's friend from school, who had been sorted into Slytherin house. Most people found their friendship to be very odd, since Liza had been placed in Gryffindor, and it was widely known that Gryffindors and Slytherins didn't typically get along. Liza picked up the final small parcel sitting on the table and opened it up. Inside was a charm for her charm bracelet that John had gotten her for Christmas. This charm was a silver letter E, and Liza was quick to fasten it to her bracelet.

"Looks like your Hogwarts letter arrived this morning, as well," Sue said, nodding to the final envelope on the table. Liza picked it up and slit open the top. There was the usual letter that stated when the beginning of term was, a list of books and other supplies she'd need for the following year, and her ticket for the Hogwarts Express. There was also another piece of paper in the envelope. Liza quickly read the opening letter.

_Dear Ms. Jones,_

_Please note that the new school year will begin on September the first. The Hogwarts Express will leave from King's Cross station, platform nine and three-quarters, at eleven o'clock._

_Third years are permitted to visit the village of Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Please give the enclosed permission form to your parent or guardian to sign._

_A list of books for next year is enclosed._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Professor M. McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

"Mom," Liza said immediately, turning to Sue. "The letter says that third year students can start visiting Hogsmeade village on certain weekends, but I need you to sign the permission form." She handed her mom the form.

"Alright, I'll sign as long as you promise to stay out of trouble," Sue said, smiling slightly.

"Mom, when do I ever get in trouble?" Liza shot back, grinning. She knew that in her first two years of Hogwarts, Liza and her friends had gotten in trouble a few times. To be fair, they had saved the Sorcerer's Stone from being stolen by You-Know-Who their first year, and the following year, they had saved the entire school from the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.

"Here you are," Sue said, handing the signed form to her daughter.

"Thank you," Liza replied. "I'm going to take it right up to my trunk so I don't forget it."

"Put your dishes away first!" Sue said, motioning to Liza's dirty plate. Liza picked up her plate and brought it into the kitchen. Her parents cleaned all the dishes with magic, but it had always been a rule for her to at least bring her dirty dishes to the sink.

Once her dishes were cleaned up, Liza scooped up her birthday presents and letters and took them up to her room.

Later that night, Dan Jones, Liza's adoptive father, came home with a troubled look on his face. He had the newspaper in his hand. Both Sue and Liza, who had been in the kitchen getting dinner ready, paused when he entered the room.

"What's wrong, dear?" Sue asked. "Has something happened?" Dan held up the newspaper.

"Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban," he replied. Sue let out a little gasp, but Liza was confused.

"Who's Sirius Black?" she asked. "What's Azkaban?" Dan let out a heavy sigh before motioning for Liza to sit down. He sat down next to her.

"Azkaban is the Wizarding prison for Great Britain," he explained. "It's guarded by dementors, creatures who you would never want to meet. Nobody has ever escape from that prison before."

"Dementors?" Liza asked, frowning.

"They suck all the happiness from around them," Dan continued, shuddering. "Any bit of happiness that you have, they take it away."

"So nobody's escaped before this Sirius Black guy?" Liza said.

"Yes," Dan answered. "Nobody has ever been able to break out of that prison. Sirius Black was…well, it's said that he was a supporter of You-Know-Who. He murdered a wizard he was supposed to be friends with, along with a bunch of Muggles, the night the Potters were killed and You-Know-Who disappeared."

"So what does this mean, Dan?" Sue cut in, looking very worried.

"All the magical governing bodies have been notified," Dan replied. "Some of the Muggle leaders have been warned, as well. As far as I know, they won't be closing Hogwarts."

"Why would they need to close Hogwarts?" Liza asked anxiously.

"Well, as I said, Azkaban is the prison for Great Britain," Dan answered carefully. "It really not that far from the school. Until they recapture Black, there's nothing stopping him from trying to break into the school…"

"Why would he want to get into a school for?" Liza shot back, her voice getting high.

"Liza, honey, it's okay," Sue said, hurrying to put a comforting hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Your father said that they weren't closing the school."

"I'm sure they'll add some extra protections just to be safe," Dan added. "We're just worried about you going to school so far away."

"But Dumbledore will be there," Liza reasoned. "Even You-Know-Who is scared of Dumbledore!" There was a long pause. "I can still go to Hogwarts, though, right?" Liza finally asked.

"Of course you can," Dan replied. "You've already been going there for two years. Plus, if anything should happen to the school, the Weasleys will be there to look after you." Liza nodded.

"Well then," Sue piped up. "Let's all try to forget about this so we can have a nice birthday dinner for Liza." Dan stood up to help Sue get dinner on the table as Liza sat, thinking hard. A prison escapee wouldn't want to break into Hogwarts, would he?

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: I would expect the next chapter soon, as I'm almost finished with it, but don't quote me on that. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**_


	2. Chapter 2 Reunited in Diagon Alley

_**A/N: Here's chapter 2! Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 2 – Reunited in Diagon Alley**

The next few weeks passed very slowly for Liza. Her parents had decided that Sue would take Liza to London two days before the end of the holidays. They were going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for a few nights, meeting up with the Weasleys on the last day of their holidays, and then Liza would be on the train back to Hogwarts the following day.

Liza woke up very early on the day they were leaving for London. They had to leave relatively early to deal with the time change. Liza was practically skipping around her room, throwing things into her trunk to be ready for the school year ahead.

A few hours after she had awoken, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Liza opened it to see find her mom holding onto her cat, Boots.

"Good morning," Sue said, handing the cat over. "I found her sulking under the sink. Come on downstairs for some breakfast." Liza let Boots crawl up onto her shoulders and followed her mom down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Good morning, pumpkin," Dan said, grinning as his daughter sat down at the table. "Are you excited?"

"I'm always excited, Dad," Liza replied, smiling back. "I can't wait to go back to school!"

"I bet this has been a strange summer for you," Sue said, setting a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of Liza. "The last two summers you've been with the Weasleys for all of August."

"Yeah," Liza said. "But it's okay, I'll be seeing them soon." Sue sat down at the table.

"Speaking of the Weasleys," she started, "I've been exchanging letters with Molly. We were all wondering if you wanted to stay with the Weasleys for all of next summer?" Liza dropped her fork onto her plate.

"You mean, not come home next summer?" she asked.

"Well, it's completely up to you," Sue hurried to say. "It just seems silly to us for you to come all the way home for a few weeks. I know the time change isn't something that's easy to deal with, and your father and I could come visit you at the Weasleys on weekends, or you could come here." Liza looked between her parents in disbelief.

"We're not trying to get rid of you, if that's what you're thinking," Dan chuckled. "Your mother and I know that you love being over there. This was just a thought that we had to make it easier on you."

"Well, if the Weasleys are okay with it, I would love to spend the summer with them," Liza replied. "I just wouldn't want to become a burden."

"Well, you think it over and let us know," Dan said. "You've only got about nine months to decide." Liza laughed at that.

After breakfast, Liza double checked her room for anything she had forgotten to pack. Then she put Boots into her carrier and went downstairs to join her mom in front of the fireplace in the living room. Dan levitated her trunk down the stairs.

"Okay, you'll be Flooing into the Leaky Cauldron," Sue said. "I'll take Boots with me, and I'll Apparate and meet you there." Liza nodded before turning to Dan.

"Good bye, Daddy," she said, hugging him tightly. "I love you."

"I love you too, munchkin," Dan replied. "Be good and have fun. Be safe. And stay out of trouble!" he added as she threw some Floo powder into the fireplace. The flames turned green, and Liza stepped into them. Dan turned her trunk on its side and Liza took hold of the handle. She shot her dad a grin, waved at him, and then stated firmly, "The Leaky Cauldron."

Suddenly Liza found herself flying through the green flames. Other fireplaces whizzed past her. It took a few moments, but she finally felt herself slowing down and then she was stumbling out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Good afternoon, miss," a man greeted her. He stepped forward to help drag her trunk out of the fireplace and then escorted her off to the side.

"Hi," she said. "I'm waiting for my mom, she was Apparating here?" The man nodded and led her to the front of the Leaky Cauldron where people could check into a room.

"Liza!" Sue was standing in front of a desk, holding a key in one hand and Boots' carrier in the other. The man who was with Liza bowed and returned to his position by the fireplace.

"No problems whatsoever," Liza said to Sue, smiling. She took Boots from her.

"We're in room fourteen," Sue said. "How about we go put our things in the room and then we can go buy your school things?"

"Sounds good to me," Liza replied. Sue pulled out her wand and levitated Liza's trunk ahead of them, and then she led the way up the stairs and to their room.

"Home sweet home," Sue said as she unlocked the door. "Well, at least for the next couple of days." The room looked much bigger on the inside than the outside made it seem. There were two beds next to each other with a wardrobe in between them. Sue levitated Liza's trunk to the end of the far bed. Liza put Boots' carrier down and let the cat out. Boots immediately took to sniffing around the room.

"Let's see," Sue started, rummaging around her bag. "We should run into Gringotts first so you can get some spending money out of your vault." So the two set off for Diagon Alley. The street was crowded full of what Liza guessed were Hogwarts students and their families. She followed Sue to the end of the street to Gringotts, the wizard bank.

Once they had retrieved some of the gold out of Liza's vault, Sue hurried her daughter over to Madam Malkin's to get some new robes. Liza had grown a few more inches over the summer, and her robes were a bit too short for her now. After getting new robes, they went to the Apothecary to refill some of Liza's potions ingredients.

"We still need to get your books," Sue said as they exited the Apothecary. "Anything else you need to get?"

"I don't think so," Liza replied. "Just books." They started down the street towards Flourish and Blotts when a voice stopped them.

"Liza!" Liza turned to see her friend Harry running up to them.

"Harry!" Liza replied, throwing her arms around him. "It's good to see you! When did you get here?"

"I've been here for a few weeks," Harry replied. "Are Ron or Hermione here, too?"

"No, but the Weasleys should be here tomorrow," Liza answered. "Why have you been here for a few weeks?"

"I'll tell you later, when Ron and Hermione can hear it, too," Harry replied.

"You remember my mom?" Liza asked, gesturing to Sue. "I think you met my parents at the end of our first year."

"Yes, hello, Mrs. Jones," Harry said, offering a hand to Sue. Sue shook it, smiling.

"Well, if you two want to go off on your own for a while, I can find something else to occupy my time," Sue said. "I'll meet you back in the Leaky Cauldron for dinner?"

"Okay, I'll be there," Liza agreed. Sue kissed her daughter's forehead before walking off to explore Diagon Alley on her own. Liza turned to Harry and said, "Well, I need to get my books still. Would you like to accompany me?"

"Sure," Harry said. "I got my books last week, but I can help you find yours." So they set off down the street to Flourish and Blotts.

"Good afternoon," the shop's manager greeted as they entered the store. "Hogwarts, I suppose? Will you be needing one of these?" He gestured to a large cage full of books that were attacking one another. _The Monster Book of Monsters_ was written on a label outside the cage. Liza pulled her list out and saw that she did, in fact, need that book.

"Yes, I suppose I do need one of those," she said uncertainly. The manager pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed a walking stick before making his way over to the door of the cage. He opened the door and managed to grab one of the books with one hand, the other one brandishing the walking stick like a sword at the group of monster books. He shut the cage door, panting, and grabbed a leather belt from a pile sitting beside the cage. He wrapped it around the book and bound it shut so the book couldn't bite anybody.

"Here you are," the manager said, looking exhausted. "Will you be able to find your other books? It's been very busy for me today with all the students coming in."

"Of course," Liza replied quickly. "Thank you for this one." She put the squirming book into her bag and then looked at her list once more. Harry helped her to retrieve her new books, knowing where to find most of them.

"You're taking Muggle Studies?" Harry asked as Liza retrieved the book for her new subjects. "You seem to know a lot about Muggles already."

"My parents live in a Muggle town," Liza explained. "I've grown up around Muggles and pretending to be like a Muggle in public. I've noticed that the American wizarding society is much less old fashioned as compared to the British one. There's hardly any emphasis on blood purity in America because the first wizards over there were generally half-bloods and Muggleborns escaping from oppression."

"So there's no importance on blood status over there?" Harry asked, sounding intrigued.

"Not really," Liza replied. "I mean, families who have been in America since the beginning think they're pretty important, but other than that, blood status really isn't important. In fact, a lot of wizarding families send their children to Muggle schools since most kids can get through elementary school before going to magic school."

"Did you go to Muggle school?" Harry asked.

"No, my parents were too worried about me accidentally using magic," Liza said. "Besides, my mom was home all the time, so she was able to teach me the basic things I needed to know: reading, spelling, math…"

"So why are you taking Muggle Studies?" Harry repeated.

"I'm interested in the interactions between the Wizarding world and the Muggle world," Liza answered. "I think it's important for Wizards to know about Muggles and how their society works and whatnot. I'd love to someday work with Wizards to get them more used to Muggles and how to better blend in with Muggles."

"Interesting," Harry said. Liza paid for her books and they exited the shop.

"I know the Muggles you grew up with weren't the best," Liza said. "But most Muggles aren't like that." Harry nodded.

"Come on, let's go to the Quidditch supply store," he said. "They have a new broom in stock, you just have to see it…"

**~LJ:WF~**

When dinner time came around, Liza and Harry went back to the Leaky Cauldron to meet up with Sue. After a nice dinner, Liza said good night to Harry and went back up to her room to pack her new school things into her trunk.

The next morning, Liza met Harry downstairs for breakfast.

"So, where should we go today?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Liza replied. "We have to keep a look out for the Weasleys though. Ron said they'd be here today." The two set off down Diagon Alley again, keeping their eyes open for Ron and the rest of his family. Harry dragged Liza over to the Quidditch shop again to take a look at the Firebolt before lunch.

"Come on, Harry, I'm hungry," Liza said, finally dragging him away from the broomstick. "Where do you want to eat?"

"We could always go back to the Leaky Cauldron," Harry started, but they were cut off by shouts of their names.

"Harry! Liza!" They both turned toward the ice cream shop to see Ron and Hermione waving at them, sitting at one of the tables out front. Liza squealed and ran over to her friends, giving them both hugs.

"Finally," Ron said as Liza and Harry took the two empty seats at the table. "We went to the Leaky Cauldron, but they said you'd left, and we went to Flourish and Blotts, and Madam Malkin's, and…"

"I got all my school stuff last week," Harry replied.

"And I got my stuff yesterday," Liza chimed in.

"How come you knew I was staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" Harry asked. "Or were you looking for Liza?"

"We were looking for both of you," Ron said. "I knew you were here because of Dad."

"Did you _really_ blow up your aunt, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"Whoa, hold up," Liza said, putting her hands up. "You did _what_?" Harry launched into the story about how his uncle's sister had upset him over the summer to the point where he essentially turned her into a giant balloon. Ron doubled over laughing.

"'Inflate' would have been a better choice of word, Hermione," Liza mumbled as Harry finished his story. "I thought you meant that Harry _blew up_ his aunt. Like, ka-boom. Gone."

"I didn't mean to," Harry insisted. "I just—lost control."

"It's not funny, Ron," Hermione said to the still laughing Ron. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry was expelled."

"So am I," Harry said. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested. Your dad doesn't know why Fudge let me off, does he?" he asked Ron.

"Probably cause it's you, isn't it?" Ron replied. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry'd do to _me_ if I blew up my aunt. Mind you, they'd have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me."

"Good thing your relatives are Muggles then, eh?" Liza said, grinning.

"Anyway, you can ask Dad yourself this evening," Ron continued. "We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight, too! So you can come to King's Cross with us tomorrow! Hermione's there as well!"

"Mum and Dad dropped me off this morning with all my Hogwarts things," Hermione added, smiling. Liza squealed again and threw her arms around Hermione's shoulders.

"Excellent!" Harry exclaimed. "So, have you got all your new books and stuff?"

"Look at this," Ron replied, pulling out a wand. "Brand-new wand. Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair. And we've got all our books…" He gestured to a bag at his feet. "What about those _Monster Books_, eh? The assistant nearly cried when we said we wanted two."

"What's all that, Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at the three bags that she had

"Well, I'm taking more new subjects that you, aren't I?" Hermione said. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies…"

"What are you doing Muggle Studies for?" Ron asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "You're Muggleborn! Your mum and dad are Muggles! You already know all about Muggles!"

"But it'll be fascinating to study them from the wizarding point of view," Hermione replied, sounding eager.

"Are you planning to eat or sleep at all this year, Hermione?" Harry asked, smirking.

"Oh, leave her alone," Liza said, shaking her head at the boys. Hermione looked into her purse.

"I've still got ten Galleons," she said. "It's my birthday in September, and Mum and Dad gave me some money to get myself an early birthday present."

"How about a nice _book_?" Ron asked, trying to stifle a snigger.

"No, I don't think so," Hermione answered, ignoring Ron's jab. "I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, and you've got Errol…"

"I haven't," Ron said. "Errol's a family owl. All I've got is Scabbers." He reached into his pocket and pulled his rat out. "And I want to get him checked over," Ron continued. "I don't think Egypt agreed with him." He set the rat on the table. Liza leaned over, noticing that Scabbers was definitely looking skinnier than usual.

"There's a magical creature shop just over there," Harry said, pointing down the street. "You could see if they've got anything for Scabbers, and Hermione can get her owl." Harry and Liza waited for Ron and Hermione to pay for their ice cream, and then the four of them went down to the animal shop.

It was dark and cramped in the shop. Cages full of all kinds of creatures lined the walls. There was someone ahead of them in line, so Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza waited patiently, looking around at all the animals.

"Look at that one, it's cute," Liza said to Hermione, pointing at a small barn owl.

"Ooh, maybe," Hermione replied. The wizard who was ahead of them finished, and Ron stepped up to the counter.

"It's my rat," he said to the witch behind the desk. "He's been a bit off-color ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

"Bang him on the counter," the witch said, putting a pair of glasses on. Ron set Scabbers on the counter. There was a cage of much younger looking rats nearby, and they all scurried to the edge of their cage to see Scabbers.

"Hm," the witch began, bending over Scabbers. "How old is this rat?"

"Dunno," Ron replied. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

"What powers does he have?" the witch continued.

"Er…" Ron trailed off, not sure how to answer the witch's question.

"He's been through the mill, this one," the witch said.

"He was like that when Percy gave him to me," Ron said quickly.

"An ordinary common or garden rat like this can't be expected to live longer than three years or so," the witch explained. "Now, if you were looking for something a bit more hard-wearing, you might like one of these…" She motioned to the cage of rats near them. "But if you don't want a replacement, you can try this rat tonic," she finished, reaching under the counter and taking out a small red phial.

"Okay," Ron agreed. "How much—OUCH!" At that moment, a large animal had landed on Ron's head. It then shot itself at Scabbers, hissing loudly.

"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" the witch behind the counter yelled, but it didn't do any good. Scabbers jumped down from the counter and onto the floor, then waddled quickly for the door.

"Scabbers!" Ron shouted before hurrying after his rat. Harry followed him. Meanwhile, the witch was trying to get the large animal under control. It took her a few minutes to subdue it.

"What is that?" Liza asked. "Is it a cat, or…?"

"He's part cat, part Kneazle, we think," the witch replied. "We can't find anyone who would want to adopt him. He tends to chase smaller animals, but I've never seen him react like that to a rat…"

"May I see him?" Hermione asked. The witch reluctantly agreed, and she deposited the large cat into Hermione's arms. "Oh, he's lovely, isn't he?" Hermione asked Liza. Liza had to admit, now that he had calmed down, he did seem much nicer. He was purring loudly, rubbing his face against Hermione's chin.

"I think he likes you, Hermione," Liza said, reaching over to scratch his ear. Crookshanks leaned into Liza's hand. "I wonder if you and Boots would get along," Liza added.

"Poor Crookshanks," Hermione cooed. "You just want to get adopted, don't you?" She paused for a few minutes, stroking Crookshanks's fur before turning to the witch and saying, "I want to adopt him."

"Are you sure?" the witch asked. Hermione nodded vigorously. The witch shrugged and got a few cat supplies for Hermione. Hermione paid for Crookshanks, and she and Liza exited the shop.

"Are you sure you don't want an owl?" Liza asked.

"Well, the school does have owls that I can keep borrowing," she said. "I think it'll be okay for a while." They weren't walking for very long when they found Harry and Ron walking back towards them.

"You _bought_ that monster?" Ron cried incredulously.

"He's _gorgeous_, isn't he?" Hermione replied, smiling admiringly at her new cat.

"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!" Ron shot back.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" Hermione said, stroking Crookshanks's head.

"And what about Scabbers?" Ron continued, motioning to the lump in his pocket. "He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"

"He's not a thing, Ron," Liza scolded, reaching over and patting Crookshanks's head as well.

"That reminds me, you forgot your rat tonic," Hermione continued, taking the bottle out of her pocket and handing it over. "And stop _worrying_, Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."

"I wonder why," Ron muttered darkly. Liza nudged him with her elbow.

"Let's go back to the Leaky Cauldron," Harry suggested. "I'm sure Hermione is tired of carrying around all those bags and a cat." The other three agreed and they began the walk back to the Leaky Cauldron.

When they entered, they found Mr. Weasley with Sue sitting at the bar. They were looking at a copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Hi, Mom," Liza greeted. "Hello, Mr. Weasley."

"Hello, Liza," Mr. Weasley said, smiling at her. "And Harry, too! How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry replied as they joined the two adults. Mr. Weasley laid the paper out smooth on the bar top. There was a large picture of Sirius Black looking up from the front page.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" Harry asked.

"No," Mr. Weasley replied. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" Ron spoke up. "It'd be good to get some more money…" Liza rolled her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," Mr. Weasley sighed. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, mark my words." He and Sue both shuddered at the thought of the Azkaban guards.

There was a commotion at the door between the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley as Mrs. Weasley entered, herding four of her other children through it. Liza leapt up and threw herself at Ginny, Ron's younger sister, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hi, Liza," Ginny said, laughing. Liza had barely pulled away when she was being swept off her feet by one of the Weasley twins.

"We were wondering where you were," George said, practically crushing Liza in a hug.

"I'm right here," she replied, giggling. George released her, and Fred immediately stepped in for a hug of his own.

"It was weird without you this summer," Fred said. "We were so used to having two sisters during the summers that it was strange to only have one."

"Oh, Liza dear," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Liza into yet another hug. "Bill and Charlie send their hellos as well."

"Seriously, though," George said as he and Fred steered Liza away from their mother. "Next summer you'll definitely need to come stay for a while."

"Well, my parents said that I could stay with you guys for the whole summer," Liza announced. George and Fred exchanged excited looks before turning to their mom.

"It's up to you, though, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, beaming at Liza. Liza looked over at Sue, who was also smiling.

"Oh, please tell me you'll stay with us all summer!" Ginny exclaimed. "It'll be nice to have another girl around."

"Alright, alright," Liza said. "If you guys really insist that much." She laughed as Fred, George, and Ginny all whooped in delight. "Ron? Are you okay with that?" she asked, looking over to her friend.

"What?" Ron said. "Oh, yeah. Sure. Doesn't bother me."

"Typical," Liza said, shaking her head. The rest of the Weasleys moved on to greet Harry.

"Harry," Percy, the eldest of the Weasley children present, said, offering his hand to Harry in greeting. "How nice to see you."

"Hello, Percy," Harry replied, looking amused. He shook Percy's hand.

"I hope you're well?" Percy continued.

"Very well, thanks," Harry answered.

"Harry!" Fred said, pushing Percy out of the way and bowing to Harry. "Simply _splendid_ to see you, old boy!"

"Marvelous," George cut in, shoving Fred away and grabbing Harry's hand. "Absolutely spiffing." Percy glared at his younger brothers' mockery.

"That's enough, now," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Mum!" Fred exclaimed, rushing over to grab her hand. "How really corking to see you!"

"I said, that's enough," Mrs. Weasley said firmly. "Hello, Harry, dear. I suppose you've heard our exciting news?" She pointed to Percy and said, "Second Head Boy in the family!"

"And last," Fred said quietly.

"I don't doubt that," Mrs. Weasley said, turning to the twins. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" George asked, looking insulted that his mother would suggest that they be prefects. "It'd take all the fun out of life." Ginny and Liza giggled.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" Mrs. Weasley insisted. "And these other kids, too."

"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," Percy said. "I'm going up to change for dinner…"

"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," George said to Harry and Liza. "But Mum spotted us." Mrs. Weasley suggested that they all go put their shopping in their rooms and meet downstairs later for dinner. Liza helped Hermione with her extra bags

"I don't think there's anything wrong with being a prefect," Hermione said as she unlocked the door to her room. "I think it's nice that Percy was made Head Boy. He wanted it badly enough."

"There's nothing wrong with it," Liza agreed. "I just don't think we'd want Fred or George to be prefects. It's just not their thing." The girls entered the room and Hermione let Crookshanks out of her arms.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione answered. "They could give Percy a break, though." Liza shrugged. Hermione opened her trunk and began to pile her new books neatly inside it as Liza watched.

**~LJ:WF~**

There were eleven of them at dinner that night. The innkeeper helped them push a few of the tables together so they could all sit together and eat. They were presented with five whole courses, and by the time dessert appeared, Liza was feeling thoroughly stuffed.

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" Fred asked.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," Mr. Weasley replied. All the kids stopped eating, looking at him curiously.

"Why?" Percy asked.

"It's because of you, Perce," George said. "And there'll be like flags on the hoods, with HB on them."

"For Humongous Bighead," Fred clarified. Everyone but Mrs. Weasley and Percy let out snorts of laughter at that.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, holding his head up high.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," Mr. Weasley started, looking uncomfortable, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favor…"

"Good thing, too," Mrs. Weasley cut in. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground… You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," Percy said indignantly. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley suggested. Ron, looking partially annoyed and partially embarrassed, glared across the table at Percy. "And the rest of you better check and make sure you have everything packed, as well," Mrs. Weasley added, looking around at the rest of them.

After dinner, Liza and Hermione were the last of the kids to be in the parlor with their parents, listening to Mr. Weasley's work stories. Liza had missed hearing about what bewitched Muggle things Mr. Weasley had come across while he'd been working.

"It's getting late, girls," Mrs. Weasley finally said. "I'm sure you two are already packed, but you better make sure you've got everything and get some rest." Hermione and Liza nodded, bidding the adults good night before heading back up the stairs. They were just passing the room that Ron and Percy were sharing when they heard shouting. Harry, who was staying in the room next door, poked his head out as Liza and Hermione passed.

"Are Ron and Percy fighting?" he asked. The three of them stopped outside of Percy and Ron's door and pushed it open.

"It was _here_, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing—!" Percy was shouting.

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron yelled back.

"What's up?" Harry asked as he and the girls stood in the doorway.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," Percy replied, looking suspiciously at the three of them.

"We don't have your badge, Percy," Liza said calmly.

"Scabber's rat tonic is missing, too," Ron said. "I think I must've left it in the bar…"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" Percy cried.

"I'll get Scabber's stuff, I'm all packed," Harry offered. He said goodnight to Liza and Hermione, and then started back down the stairs.

"Well, we're going to go to bed," Liza told Ron. "Good night. We'll see you in the morning. And, er…good luck." She nodded her head towards Percy's back. Ron groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, good night," he said. Liza and Hermione retreated down the hall a few doors, bid each other good night, and parted ways. Liza double checked her trunk to make sure it was fully packed, then changed into her pajamas and got into her bed.

It took her a while to fall asleep that night because she was too excited about leaving for Hogwarts the next morning. She'd been in bed for a few minutes before she heard Sue enter the room and get ready for bed.

"Good night, Liza, dear," Sue whispered across the room.

"Good night, Mom," Liza replied. Then she rolled over and shut her eyes, falling asleep dreaming about the Hogwarts Express.

**~LJ:WF~**


	3. Chapter 3 Unwanted Guests

_**A/N: Here's chapter 3. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 3 – Unwanted Guests**

Liza woke up early the next morning. She tossed and turned for a few minutes, trying to see if she could fall back asleep for a little while longer, but she wasn't able to calm down. When she sat up, she was surprised to see that her mother had already left the room. So she changed out of her pajamas and threw them into her trunk. Then she picked up Boots and let her crawl onto her shoulders.

Leaving the room, Liza walked down the hall quietly, planning on seeing if breakfast was ready. When she walked passed Harry's door, however, she could hear fumbling coming from inside the room. Liza knocked on the door.

"Harry? It's me," she said.

"Come in," Harry's muffled reply came back. Liza pushed the door open to see Harry trying to persuade Hedwig into her cage. When Hedwig saw Liza, she flew over to her. Liza held out her arm so the owl could land on it.

"Hedwig, come on, you need to get in your cage," Harry sighed. Liza giggled, stroking Hedwig's feathers.

"Is Harry being mean?" she asked jokingly. "Is he trying to get you in that little cage?" Hedwig hooted and nipped gently at Liza's fingers. "Come on, you need to get in your cage." Liza held out her arm to Harry and Harry picked Hedwig up. Hedwig let out a loud hoot of indignation.

"Yeah, I know, you don't like being picked up," Harry said, struggling to get Hedwig into the cage. "But you need to be in your cage." Liza sat down on Harry's bed as he finally managed to get Hedwig to cooperate.

The door burst open, causing Liza to jump in surprise, but it was only Ron, looking very cross.

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he grumbled. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know, his _girlfriend_. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy…"

"_Did_ you drip tea on the picture?" Liza asked.

"It was an accident!" Ron said defensively.

"Listen, I've got something to tell you guys," Harry started, but he was interrupted by Fred and George poking their heads into the room, congratulating Ron on irritating Percy further.

"Also, breakfast is being served downstairs, you don't want to miss it," George added before he and his twin left again.

"Come on, I'm starving," Liza said, jumping up from Harry's bed and heading for the door. Ron and Harry followed her down the stairs and into the parlor. Everyone else was already gathered and eating their breakfast.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry as the three of them sat down opposite the twins.

"Later," Harry told them in a low voice.

Unfortunately for Harry, 'later' would have to be much later, because trying to leave the Leaky Cauldron was a chaotic affair. There were eight heavy trunks, two owls in cages, and two cats in carriers to drag down the stairs. Crookshanks in particular was very distressed about being stuck in his basket.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione said, putting her hand on the basket. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," Ron said indignantly. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?" Mr. Weasley interrupted them to tell them that the Ministry's cars had arrived.

"Harry, come on," he said, gesturing to Harry to follow him. Liza turned to Sue, who was planning on Apparating home instead of going to King's Cross with them.

"You be a good girl," Sue said. "Have fun, be safe, and do your homework. I love you." She pulled her daughter in for a hug.

"I love you, too, Mom," Liza said. "You and Dad stay safe, too."

"Liza," George called from behind them. "It's time to get in the car." Liza gave her mom one final squeeze before pulling away. She turned and followed George out of the Leaky Cauldron and into one of the cars. She found herself sitting comfortably in between George and Fred, with Ginny sitting on George's other side. After all the trunks had been piled into the backs of the two cars, Mrs. Weasley got into the front seat next to the Ministry driver and they were off.

They made it to King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare, much better than the previous year. The two Ministry drivers found them all trolleys and unloaded their trunks onto them before driving away, leaving them with fifteen minutes to get onto the train. Mr. Weasley led the way with Harry, and when they got to the barrier, he paused.

"Right then," he said, loud enough so the whole group could hear. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry." He ushered Harry up to the barrier, and leaned against it. Harry copied him, and a moment later they had disappeared. Mrs. Weasley bustled forward to direct the rest of the pairs.

"Hermione and Ron, go ahead…" she said quietly, ushering the next two forward. Hermione and Ron walked briskly through the barrier. Percy and Ginny went next, taking a run at it.

"George, take Liza with you," Mrs. Weasley said, gesturing them forward. George winked at Liza and broke into a run at the barrier, Liza hot on his heels. They burst through the barrier, laughing breathlessly. They were barely out of the way when Fred and Mrs. Weasley joined them.

"Where has Percy got to?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking around at the group.

"He went off to see his _girlfriend_," Ginny replied, giggling.

"Well, you better get your things onto the train," Mr. Weasley said. "We'll be waiting here to say good bye." Harry and Ron led the way to the back of the train to stow their luggage in an empty compartment. Then they all hopped back down onto the platform to say their farewells to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley was already kissing Percy good bye when Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza rejoined the group. Mrs. Weasley kissed the rest of them, as well.

"Do take care, won't you, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley said when she reached Harry last. Then she opened her purse and said, "I've made you all sandwiches… Here you are, Ron…no, they're not corned beef… Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are, dear…"

"Harry, come over here a moment," Mr. Weasley said to Harry, leading him away from the group. Liza looked quizzically after them, but looked back at Mrs. Weasley as she pressed a sandwich into her hands.

"Mrs. Weasley, you didn't have to make me a sandwich," Liza said, but Mrs. Weasley shook her head as she gave one to Hermione as well.

"Nonsense, I know what kind of food they have on this train," she said. "Now you have something to eat other than candy all day."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Liza and Hermione both said.

"And here, this is for Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, handing Ron another sandwich. "Can you make sure he gets it?"

"Yes, Mum," Ron replied.

"Now, I want you all to have a good term," Mrs. Weasley said. "Be sure to write, your father and I love hearing from you. It's nearly eleven, you should get onto the train." She began ushering them towards the train. "Arthur!" she called back to her husband. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

Ron hopped up onto the train, followed by Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George. Liza hesitated, looking back at Mr. Weasley and Harry, as well.

"Liza, onto the train, please," Mrs. Weasley said as a whistle sounded. The train doors were being shut, so Liza scurried onto the train. "Arthur, quickly!" Mrs. Weasley cried. The train jerked forward, and Harry ran up to the door. Ron threw the door open, and Harry jumped up into the train. Ron shut the door again, and they all leaned out of the windows to wave back at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"That was a bit of a close call," Liza said, smiling at Harry. He didn't smile back.

"I need to talk to you in private," he said to Liza, Ron, and Hermione. Fred and George had already left to join their friends, but Ginny was still standing with them.

"Go away, Ginny," Ron said bluntly.

"Oh, that's nice," Ginny replied, before stomping away. Liza frowned disapprovingly at Ron.

"Come on, let's find an empty compartment," Harry said, walking down the corridor. Unfortunately, the closest thing they could find to an empty compartment was one that had a sleeping occupant in it. It was a man, an adult, something that the four of them had never seen before.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron asked quietly as they entered the compartment.

"Professor R.J. Lupin," Hermione replied.

"How d'you know that?" Ron shot back.

"It's on his case," Hermione answered, pointing at the suitcase in the rack above the man's head. Liza sniggered as Ron's ears turned pink.

"Wonder what he teaches?" he said.

"That's obvious," Hermione murmured. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"As far as we know," Liza said. "Maybe Dumbledore fired Snape over the summer." The other three sniggered.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," Ron quipped. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway…" He turned his attention back to Harry and prompted, "What were you going to tell us?"

Harry told them of how he had overheard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing the night before. He told them that Mr. Weasley believed that Sirius Black was after Harry, and that Dumbledore was going to have the Azkaban guards stationed around the castle grounds that year to make sure Black stayed out. Then he finished by telling them that Mr. Weasley had him swear that he wouldn't go after Black himself.

"Sirius Black escaped to come after _you_?" Hermione whispered, looking horrified. "Oh, Harry…you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Harry…"

"I don't go looking for trouble," Harry said impatiently. "Trouble usually finds _me_."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron asked with a shaky voice. He took a breath and continued, "No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner, too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione pressed. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too…"

"What's that noise?" Liza asked, her eyes squinting as she concentrated on the high pitched whistling she could hear. Ron stood up and listened to the trunks above their heads.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry," he reported, reaching into Harry's trunk. A moment later, he had extracted what looked like a small spinning top, made entirely out of glass. He held out his hand, where the item spun and glowed.

"Is that a _Sneakoscope_?" Hermione asked, standing up to take a closer look at the item in Ron's hand.

"Yeah…mind you, it's a very cheap one," Ron answered. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione questioned slyly.

"No!" Ron insisted. "Well… I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journeys…but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk or it'll wake him up," Harry suggested. Ron pulled out a sock from Harry's trunk and put the Sneakoscope inside it before stuffing it back inside Harry's trunk.

"I can't hear it anymore," Liza said. "Anyone else?" The other three shook their heads.

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade," Ron said. "They sell that sort of thing in Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked, intrigued. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain…"

"Yeah, I think it is," Ron replied, "but that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" Liza asked.

"It's this sweetshop," Ron continued, "where they've got _everything_… Pepper Imps—they make you smoke at the mouth—and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next…"

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione added excitedly. "In _Site of Historical Sorcery_ it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain…"

"And massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," Ron said, not paying attention to what Hermione was saying.

"Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked, turning to Harry.

"'Spect it will," he said. "You'll have to tell me when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" Ron and Liza asked at the same time.

"I can't go," Harry explained. "The Dursleys didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either."

"_You're not allowed to come_?" Ron practically shouted. Liza hushed him, glancing at the sleeping man. "But—no way…" Ron continued in a quieter voice. "McGonagall or someone will give you permission…" Harry laughed humorously at that. "Or we can ask Fred and George, they know every secret passage out of the castle…"

"Ron!" Hermione gasped. "I don't think Harry should be sneaking out of school with Black on the loose…"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say what I ask for permission," Harry said.

"But if _we're_ with him, Black wouldn't dare…" Ron reasoned.

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish," Hermione said loftily. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street. Do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry just because _we're_ there?" Hermione, who had been holding Crookshanks's basket on her lap, began to undo the straps to let her cat out.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron snapped, but Hermione had already opened the basket. Crookshanks stood up and stretched out. He jumped out of the basket and landed in Ron's lap, who immediately shoved him away.

"Get out of here!" he growled.

"Ron, don't!" Hermione said back. Before anyone else could say anything, Professor Lupin shifted in his seat. The four of them froze, but the man did not wake.

A few hours into their trip, the food trolley came around. Harry hopped up and bought Liza a handful of Chocolate Frogs and a few bags of Bertie Botts Beans, and then some Cauldron Cakes to share between the four of them. Liza smiled in thanks as he dumped the pile of candy into her lap.

"Happy belated birthday," Harry said with satisfaction.

"Thanks, Harry," Liza replied. She tore open a Chocolate Frog and bit into it.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked, motioning towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

"Er—Professor?" Hermione called. "Excuse me—Professor?" But the man didn't budge.

"Don't worry, dear," the trolley witch said. "If he's hungry when he wakes, I'll be up front with the driver."

"I suppose he _is_ asleep?" Ron said after the trolley witch moved away from their compartment door. "I mean—he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," Liza reassured him, pointing out the professor's rising and falling chest.

A few more hours passed, and, just as rain began to fall outside the train's windows, Draco Malfoy and his friends showed up at their compartment door.

"Well, look who it is," Malfoy began smugly. "Potty and the Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle guffawed. "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley. Did your mother die of shock?" Ron leapt to his feet, causing Crookshanks's basket to fall to the floor. The noise caused Professor Lupin to move in his sleep, and the movement caught Malfoy's attention.

"Who's that?" Malfoy asked suspiciously.

"New teacher," Harry replied, rising to stand by Ron. "What were you saying, Malfoy?" Malfoy stared at the professor, calculating whether he wanted to start trouble or not.

Finally he muttered, "C'mon," to Crabbe and Goyle, and the three of them sauntered away. Harry and Ron sat back down in their seats.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," Ron grumbled. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and…" He made a violent gesture in the air to an imaginary head.

"Ron, be _careful_..." Hermione whispered, looking worriedly at Professor Lupin, but he still didn't wake up.

As the train continued north, the rain pounded harder against the windows. The sky was dark as night, and Ron was beginning to get impatient.

"We must be nearly there now," he said. He looked out the window, but it was so dark out that it was impossible to see anything. As soon as he'd spoken, they felt the train begin to slow down. "Great," Ron continued. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast…"

"We can't be there yet," Hermione said, glancing at her watch.

"So why're we stopping?" Liza asked, confused. The train continued to slow down, and Harry got up from his seat to look out of the compartment door. Suddenly, the train jolted to a halt and the lamps went out. It was completely dark in the compartment.

"What's going on?" Ron's voice came from somewhere in the darkness.

"Ouch!" Hermione cried. "Ron, that was my foot!" Liza could hear Harry feeling his way along the compartment to find his seat again.

"D'you think we've broken down?" he asked.

"Dunno…" Ron replied. They heard a noise and looked over to see Ron wiping the window to look outside. "There's something moving out there… I think people are coming aboard," he reported. They all turned when they heard their compartment door open. Harry hissed in pain as someone tripped over his legs.

"Sorry—d'you know what's going on?" It was Neville Longbottom, their fellow third-year Gryffindor. "Ouch—sorry…"

"Hullo, Neville," Harry greeted.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?" Neville asked, sounding nervous.

"No idea," Harry answered. "Sit down…" Neville attempted to sit next to Harry and ended up almost sitting on Crookshanks. Crookshanks leapt up and landed on Liza's lap, and Neville was able to sit down between Harry and Ron.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," Hermione announced, standing up and moving towards the compartment door. It slid open again, and then there were two yelps of pain as Hermione ran into someone.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked.

"Who's _that_?" the other person shot back.

"Ginny?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione?" Ginny replied, sounding a bit relieved.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"I was looking for Ron…"

"Come in and sit down," Hermione invited. There was some scuffling noises.

"Not here!" Harry cried out. "_I'm_ here!" Liza reached up and grabbed Ginny's arm, pulling her into the seat next to her.

"Ouch!" Neville said.

"Quiet!" a new voice hissed. The six students froze, not saying a word. There was a crackling sound, and a small but bright light appeared in the corner where Professor Lupin had been sitting. The man was now on his feet, and the light was coming from a small flame that he was holding in one hand.

"Stay where you are," he commanded them, and Liza felt Hermione sink back into her seat next to Ginny. But before Professor Lupin could reach the door, it slid open, and they all turned to see a large cloaked figure. The figure made a sound like it was sucking in a breath, and the entire compartment was doused in cold. Liza could feel Ginny trembling next to her.

In the seat across from Hermione, Harry went stiff and fell out of his seat. Liza wanted to help him, but whatever that creature was doing made her unable to move. But Professor Lupin was able to walk forward, his wand out and aimed at the creature.

"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks," he said firmly. "Go." The creature didn't move, and Liza wasn't sure that it even understood what the professor had told him. So Professor Lupin raised his wand and muttered something. A silvery vapor emitted from his wand, and the creature turned and floated away from the compartment door.

Everyone seemed frozen to their seats for the next few moments until the lights came back on. The train jerked back into motion, and Hermione shakily dropped to the floor and began lightly slapping Harry's face. Liza put her arm around Ginny, who was still very pale and shaky.

"Harry!" Hermione called as Harry began to come to. "Harry! Are you all right?"

"W—what?" Harry mumbled as he opened his eyes. Ron and Hermione helped him back up into his seat.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked, looking very concerned.

"Yeah," Harry said. He glanced towards the door, and then looked back at the others. "What happened? Where's that—that thing? Who screamed?"

"No one screamed," Ron answered. He and Hermione exchanged a bewildered look.

"But I heard screaming…" Harry insisted, looking around at Neville, Liza, and Ginny. Then there was a loud snapping sound which made all the students jump. They turned to see Lupin breaking a large chocolate bar into smaller pieces.

"Here," he said, offering Harry a chunk. "Eat it. It'll help." Harry took the chocolate but continued to stare at Lupin.

"What was that thing?" Harry asked him.

"A dementor," Lupin replied. He handed out pieces of chocolate to the rest of the compartment. "One of the dementors of Azkaban." Everyone stared at him, not eating their chocolate. "Eat. It'll help," he insisted. "I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…" And with that, he left the compartment. Liza looked down at the chocolate in her hand and took a bite. She felt a warmth spread throughout her body.

"Do as he says, eat the chocolate," she instructed, but everyone had turned their attention to Harry.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't get it…" Harry said. "What happened?"

"Well—that thing—the dementor…" Hermione started shakily. "…stood there and looked around… I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see it's face—and you—you…"

"I thought you were having a fit or something," Ron cut in. "You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching…"

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand," Hermione continued, her voice a bit stronger now, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.'"

"But the dementor didn't move," Liza said, "so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…"

"It was horrible," Neville chimed in. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," Ron added, nodding. "Like I'd never be cheerful again…" Ginny let out a sob, and Liza tightened her arm around her shoulders.

"But didn't any of you—fall out of your seats?" Harry asked, looking slightly embarrassed.

"No," Ron answered. "Ginny was shaking like mad, though…" The compartment door slid open, and they all jumped at the noise, but it was just Lupin returned. He looked at Harry and his uneaten chocolate.

"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know," he informed them. He looked around to see that nobody but Liza had eaten any chocolate. His eyes widened a little as he looked at Liza, but all he said was, "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes." Then he turned his eyes to Harry, who had finally taken a bite of the chocolate. "Are you all right, Harry?"

"Fine," Harry mumbled.

"Eat up, eat up," Lupin insisted, looking around at the others in the compartment. "You too, Elizabeth." Liza turned abruptly to look at him; how did he know her name?

"You can call me Liza," she replied before taking another bite of chocolate. Lupin nodded, a slightly guilty look on his face.

The next ten minutes passed slowly and silently. Finally, the train shuddered to a stop at Hogsmeade station, and Liza followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione out onto the platform. The rain was freezing, drenching them immediately. They could hear Hagrid calling for the first years.

"All righ', you four?" Hagrid shouted, waving to Liza and her friends. The four of them waved back and then joined the line of students waiting to get into the horseless carriages. When they got to the front of the line, they got into an empty carriage together and started the short journey up to the castle.

When they reached their destination, they jumped down from the carriage and started up to the front door when a voice from behind them caused Harry to stop.

"You _fainted_ Potter?" Malfoy gleefully drawled. "Is Longbottom telling the truth? You actually _fainted_?" He pushed past Hermione and Liza to stand in front of Harry.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Ron growled.

"Did you faint as well, Weasley?" Malfoy continued, looking as though his birthday had come early. "Did the scary old dementor frighten you too, Weasley?" Liza opened her mouth to retort but was cut off.

"Is there a problem?" Lupin had just exited a carriage and was standing behind them. Malfoy glared at the professor.

"Oh, no—er—_Professor_," he said, smirking. Then he turned and started up the stairs to the castle doors, Crabbe and Goyle following closely.

"C'mon," Hermione said, prodding Ron in the back. The four of them continued towards the castle and entered the front doors. They were walking carefully across the Entrance Hall when Professor McGonagall's voice called out to them, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!" Hermione and Harry turned around in surprise, and Ron and Liza exchanged a glance.

"There's no need to look so worried," Professor McGonagall said when she got close. "I just want a word in my office. Move along there, Weasley, Jones." Ron and Liza stared after Hermione and Harry as Professor McGonagall led them away.

"Come on, then," Liza said after a few seconds. "We should get inside so we can save them seats." Ron nodded, and they entered the Great Hall. They went to the Gryffindor table, and Liza plopped down next to the Weasley twins. Ron sat across from her.

"I'm starving," Ron complained immediately, staring in longing at the empty dishes on the table.

"We just have to wait for the Sorting, Ron," Liza chuckled. "You're so impatient sometimes."

A few minutes later, Professor Dumbledore stood and said, "The Sorting will begin in a few moments." The chattering in the Hall died away as the students turned their heads towards the Great Hall doors.

The doors opened and the new first years marched towards the front of the Great Hall. They were following Professor Flitwick this year, since Professor McGonagall was in her office talking to Harry and Hermione. Professor Flitwick set the stool down in front of the staff table and placed the old Sorting Hat on top of it. There was a moment of silence before the rip at the brim of the Hat opened, and it began to sing it's song for the year.

"It's a different song," Ron hissed across the table to Liza. She looked at him in confusion before a moment before she remembered.

"Oh, right, you and Harry missed it last year," she whispered. "Yeah, the song is different every year. How boring would that be if you heard the same song seven years in a row?"

When the Hat had finished singing, Professor Flitwick stood in front of the first years with a roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will come forward," he explained in his high, squeaky voice. "You will sit on the stool and place the Hat on your head." Then he began to call the names. This year's list was particularly long.

"Why are there so many of them?" Ron moaned when they reached the last names beginning with 'S'.

"Think about it, genius," Liza answered. "They were born a year or two after You-Know-Who disappeared."

"So?" Ron mumbled impatiently.

"Have you never heard of a baby boom?" Liza asked. Ron shook his head. "A baby boom is when something good happens, like the end of a war, and everyone decides to start having more babies. During a war, a lot of people won't want to have kids because of dangerous atmosphere; after the war, no more danger." Ron looked slightly repulsed.

"Forget I said anything," he muttered. Liza shook her head at him.

Finally, the Sorting came to an end. Professor Flitwick rolled up the parchment, picked up the hat and the stool, and took it from the Great Hall. Liza looked up as Hermione sat down next to her. Harry sat next to Ron.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked them, looking curious. Before either of them could answer, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome!" he announced, beaming around at all the students. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast… As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business." He paused a moment to let this information sink in before continuing, "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises—or even Invisibility Cloaks." Liza glanced across the table at Ron and Harry. "It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the dementors." There was uneasy silence around the Hall as students remembered the dementors on the train.

"On a happier note," Dumbledore said after a few seconds of silence, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Liza and the others who were in their compartment clapped and cheered loudly for him.

"Look at Snape!" Ron whispered. Liza glanced at Snape to see a look of pure hatred on his face as he looked at Lupin.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore said, calling the attention back to him. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs." Liza grimaced at that visual image. "However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties." There was a much louder applause for Hagrid, mostly coming from the Gryffindor table.

"We should've known!" Ron said. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?" Liza, Harry, Hermione, and Ron were the last ones to stop clapping, after Dumbledore had to give them a kind look.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," Dumbledore finished. "Let the feast begin!"

The plates on the tables magically filled themselves, earning loud gasps of surprise from some of the first years. Unsurprisingly, Ron was the first one to begin to fill his plate.

Everything about the feast was wonderful. Liza and her friends ate until they couldn't eat anymore. When the last of the desserts had been cleared away, Dumbledore stood once again and bid them all goodnight. Many of the other students stood and started for the House dormitories. Liza, Ron, Harry, and Hermione, on the other hand, jumped up and pushed their way towards the staff table to talk to Hagrid.

"Congratulations, Hagrid!" Hermione called when they finally got near him.

"All down ter you four," Hagrid said. "Can' believe it…great man, Dumbledore…came straight down to me hut after Professor Kettleburn said he'd had enough… It's what I always wanted…" Starting to get overemotional, Hagrid brought his napkin to his face, and Professor McGonagall stepped in.

"It's time for you all to get back to your common room," she said with a faint smile. The four of them bid the professors good night and joined the group of students streaming from the Great Hall. They climbed up multiple flights of stairs, beginning to feel sleepy from their full stomachs. When they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found a large group of Gryffindors assembled, waiting for a prefect or Percy to give them the password. They didn't have to wait long.

"Coming through, coming through!" Percy yelled over their heads, pushing through the crowd. "The new password's 'Fortuna Major'!" The Fat Lady's portrait swung forward and the Gryffindors piled into the common room. Most people went directly to the stairs to go up to their dormitories. Liza and Hermione bid Harry and Ron good night and ascended the girls' staircase.

"It's nice being back," Hermione said as she and Liza reached the top of the stairs. The door to their dormitory held a small sign that now said 'Third Years'.

"It's good to be home," Liza agreed with a small smile.

**~LJ:WF~**


	4. Chapter 4 New Classes

_**A/N: Starting some new classes today (if you couldn't tell by the title of the chapter).**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 4 – New Classes**

The next morning, Liza and Hermione met Harry and Ron in the common room, and they all went down to the Great Hall together. When they entered, they saw Malfoy over at the Slytherin table perform a very dramatic reenactment of someone fainting.

"Ignore him," Hermione said to Harry. "Just ignore him, it's not worth it…"

"Hey, Potter!" Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin third-year, screeched across the Hall. "Potter! The dementors are coming, Potter! _Woooo!_" The group of Slytherins with Malfoy and Pansy started laughing loudly.

Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table next to George. Hermione sat next to him, and Ron and Liza took spots on the other side of the table.

"New third-year course schedules," George announced, passing pieces of parchment down to them. "What's up with you, Harry?"

"Malfoy," Ron replied scathingly. George looked over his shoulder at the Slytherin table, watching Malfoy pretend to faint again.

"That little git," George said, shaking his head. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?" Fred, who was sitting across from his twin, rolled his eyes.

"Nearly wet himself," he scoffed.

"I wasn't too happy, myself," George admitted. "They're horrible things, those dementors…"

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" Fred added.

"You didn't pass out, though, did you?" Harry asked.

"Forget it, Harry," George replied firmly. "Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking… They suck the happiness out of that place, dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," Fred continued, smirking. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

"That ought to be an interesting match," a voice said from behind Liza and Ron. Liza turned to see her Slytherin friend John McDevlyn standing there, grinning.

"John!" she shouted, jumping out of her seat and throwing her arms around him.

"Happy start of term to you, too," he said, chuckling. Liza let go of him and he waved at the others. "Hey everyone."

"Hi, John," they greeted him. Liza gestured to the seat next to hers and John sat down next to her.

"So how was your summer?" Liza asked him.

"Extremely boring," he replied. "A lot of avoiding of my mother and cousins."

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," Hermione said, her nose in her class schedule.

"Let me see yours," Ron said, swiping Hermione's schedule out of her hands. "They've messed up your schedule," he exclaimed after looking it over. "Look—they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough _time_."

"I'll manage," Hermione replied loftily. "I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

"But look," Ron insisted, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, nine o'clock, Muggle Studies. And—_look_—underneath that, Ancient Runes, _nine o'clock_. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's _that_ good. How're you supposed to be in three classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," Hermione said. "Of course I won't be in three classes at once."

"Well, then…"

"Pass the marmalade," Hermione interrupted.

"But…"

"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my schedule's a bit full?" Hermione asked, losing her temper. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall." Liza exchanged a glance with Harry, and Harry shrugged.

Just then Hagrid entered the Great Hall and was making his way to the staff table when he paused to beam down at the Gryffindors.

"All righ'?" he asked cheerfully. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right after lunch! Bin up since five gettin' everythin' ready… Hope it's okay… Me, a teacher…hones'ly…" Then he continued on towards the staff table.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" Ron said. Students were starting to file out of the Great Hall on their way to their first classes. "We'd better get going," Ron continued, "look, Divination's at the top of the North Tower."

"You guys have fun in Divination," Liza said. "I'm off to Muggle Studies. But, Hermione… Aren't you in Muggle Studies, too?"

"Don't worry about it," Hermione replied. "I'll see you there." She stood up with the boys.

"Okay, if you say so…" Liza said, confused as to how Hermione planned to be in Muggle Studies if she was going to Divination, too. "I'll see you boys in Transfiguration, then." Harry, Ron, and Hermione said their goodbyes and left to find their Divination classroom. Liza turned to John.

"I suppose we better get going to our classes, too," she said. "What class do you have this morning?"

"Charms," John said. "I don't have any new subjects until after lunch. Care of Magical Creatures."

"Hey, I'm in that class, too," Liza said. "Looks like the Gryffindors and Slytherins are together again for that."

"You know, for as much animosity as there is between our houses," John started as he and Liza got up from the table, "they sure like to stick us in the same classes."

They left the Great Hall together and climbed the marble stairs. They parted ways at the third floor, where the Charms classroom was located, and Liza went up one more flight of stairs. She had just reached the door to the Muggle Studies classroom when Hermione caught up to her, calling her name.

"Hermione?" Liza asked. "I thought you were going to Divination?"

"I told you I'd see you in class, didn't I?" Hermione replied, not answering Liza's question. Liza, though still very confused, decided to leave the matter alone. Hermione and Liza entered the classroom and sat at a table in the second row. They found out that they were in the class with some Hufflepuffs as well. Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbott said hello to Hermione and Liza before taking a seat at the table in front of them.

Once the whole class was seated, their professor entered the classroom. She was a middle-aged, dirty blonde witch who looked very cheerful.

"Good morning, students," she started, smiling at the class. "My name is Professor Burbage. Muggle Studies is a class that is here to help you learn about Muggles and how they live without magic. A lot of the first term may be rather boring, as we will be discussing a lot of history between the magical and Muggle worlds, but next term we will start talking about things that Muggles use to get by without magic. Are there any questions so far?"

There were no questions, so Professor Burbage began her lecture of the day while the class took notes.

At the end of the lesson, Professor Burbage held up a bag of Muggle candy.

"This is a little something I do at the end of my class," she explained. "I either give out Muggle food, or I will hand out some small Muggle trinkets. When I hand out a trinket, it will be your responsibility to interact with it and be prepared for a short discussion about it in the next class. However, if I'm passing out food, you may eat it whenever you wish." She smiled around at the class again and then dismissed them. Every student grabbed a piece of candy from her bag as they left the classroom.

"Well, that was more enjoyable than I thought it would be," Liza said. "Especially since it was mostly a history lesson."

"I agree," Hermione said. "I'm looking forward to that class immensely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to use the bathroom."

"Do you want me to wait for you?" Liza asked, puzzled at Hermione's urgency.

"No, no, you go on ahead," she replied. "I'll catch up with you in a bit." Liza nodded her head and continued down the corridor. She made it all the way to the Transfiguration class before she saw Hermione again. She, Harry, Ron, and most of the other Gryffindors entered the room just on time for class to begin. Hermione slid into the seat next to Liza, who was at a table in the second row.

"Are you okay?" Liza asked.

"Of course," Hermione replied. "What are you talking about?"

"You said you had to go to the bathroom, and then you barely made it to class on time," Liza answered. "I was just wondering if you were feeling sick or something."

"No, I'm fine," Hermione said. Liza looked around and saw Harry and Ron sitting at a table two rows behind. Then she noticed some of the other Gryffindors kept looking back at Harry.

"Good morning," Professor McGonagall greeted them. "We are going to be talking about Animagi today. An Animagus is a witch or wizard who can turn herself or himself at will into an animal of their choosing. It takes a lot of hard work and concentration, and many years of study to become an Animagus. Luckily for you all, I am a registered Animagus." She then transformed before their eyes into a gray tabby cat. Liza let out a gasp in awe, but she was one of the only ones who did.

Professor McGonagall transformed back and looked around at them quizzically, and then asked, "Really, what has gotten into you all today? Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class." There was a pause before Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class," she explained, "and we were reading the tea leaves, and…" Liza looked at her, as confused as ever. Hermione had been in Muggle Studies that morning with her, how could she have just been in Divination class?

"Ah, of course," Professor McGonagall said, nodding. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?" Nobody said anything, and Liza looked around at her fellow Gryffindors.

"Me," Harry finally called from the back row.

"I see," Professor McGonagall said. "Then you should know, Potter, that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favorite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues…" She had to stop and take a moment to recompose herself before continuing, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney…" She stopped again, took a breath, and finished, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and Liza laughed, but they were some of the only ones. Many of the Gryffindors still looked nervous.

After Transfiguration, the third years made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch, and Liza took that as her chance.

"Okay, what the in the world happened in Divination class?" she asked, looking pointedly at Harry. Harry sighed and recounted the story of Professor Trelawney seeing a Grim in his tea leaves.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Harry," Liza said when he was finished. "From what McGonagall was saying, it's very imprecise. Finding signs in tea leaves is like finding shapes in the clouds… If you want to see something, you can easily make yourself see it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, frowning.

"Well, Ron said he saw, what, a sheep in your cup?" Liza started, looking over at Ron, who nodded his confirmation. "Well, then, Professor Trelawney came around and said, 'Oh, no, that's not a sheep, that's the Grim!' So when you looked into the cup, that's what you saw, too. Professor Trelawney put the image of the Grim in the tea leaves in your head, so that's what you saw when you looked in the cup." Harry furrowed his brows in thought, but Ron looked completely unconvinced.

"Ron, cheer up," Hermione added. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

"Harry," Ron said quietly, "you _haven't_ seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," Harry answered. "I saw one the night I left the Dursleys." Ron dropped his fork.

"Probably a stray," Hermione reasoned, and Liza nodded in agreement.

"Hermione, if Harry's seen a Grim, that's—that's bad," Ron tried to explain. "My—my uncle Bilius saw one and—and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"That was probably just a coincidence," Liza said, shaking her head.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Ron snapped, looking back and forth at Hermione and Liza. "Grims scare the living daylight out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," Hermione said. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Harry's still with us because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then!" Liza snorted. Ron simply stared at Hermione, who took the silence to take her Ancient Runes book out of her bag.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she stated. "A lot of guesswork if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" Ron shot back.

"You didn't seem so confident when you were telling Harry it was a sheep," Hermione replied.

"Exactly, because Professor Trelawney put the idea in your heads that it was a Grim and not a sheep," Liza chimed in. "You didn't see the Grim until she said so!"

"Professor Trelawney knows better what to look for," Ron said. Hermione simply shook her head and started reading her book. Ron, not wanting to lose the argument, said to her, "Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!" Hermione slammed her book on the table, causing those around them to jump in surprise.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer!" she shouted. "That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Ancient Runes class!" She jumped up and stomped away.

"What is she talking about?" Ron asked, watching her as she picked an empty seat at a different part of the table. "She hasn't been to an Ancient Runes class yet." Liza rolled her eyes.

"If you're really going to take that so-called Grim seriously, then you're idiots," she told them. Then she also stood up and went to join Hermione.

"Ron is completely illogical!" Hermione fumed as Liza sat down across from her.

"I know," Liza said, pouring some pumpkin juice into the cup in front of her. "Sounds like you guys have had an interesting morning. Especially you. Tell me, how did you manage to be in Divination class when you were in Muggle Studies with me? And apparently you've been to Ancient Runes as well?" Hermione avoiding Liza's gaze.

"I told you, I sorted it with Professor McGonagall," she mumbled.

"Yeah, but sorted it _how_?" Liza pressed, but Hermione shook her head violently.

"I'm really sorry, Liza, but I can't tell you," she said. "Professor McGonagall made me swear to keep this to myself." She looked up, her eyes pleading with Liza to stop asking.

"Alright," Liza sighed. "If McGonagall told you to not say anything, I'll go along with it. But I'm not going to pretend that I'm not confused when you were just in class with me and then say that you were in another class at the same time."

"Sorry," Hermione repeated, smiling sheepishly.

When they were finished with lunch, they rejoined the boys as they exited the castle for their first Care of Magical Creatures class. Ron and Hermione refused to say anything to each other, and Liza wasn't very happy with him either. The journey down to Hagrid's hut therefore remained silent. As they got closer to the hut, they realized that they would be taking Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins.

"Good afternoon, Liza." Liza turned to see John and his friend Rhonda strolling up to them.

"Hi, John!" she exclaimed. "Hi, Rhonda!" Rhonda nodded her greeting. "Jake didn't take this class?"

"No, he only wanted to sign up for two," John replied. Then Harry groaned from beside Liza, and she looked at him curiously.

"Look who else is in our class," Harry said, waving a hand towards three Slytherins who were just ahead of them: Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Liza rolled her eyes.

"Just ignore whatever he says, Harry," she advised.

They reached Hagrid's hut to find Hagrid standing outside with his dog Fang. Fang bounded up to Liza, jumping up excitedly.

"Hi, Fang," Liza said, patting the dog's giant head.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called out to the gathering class. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Righ', follow me!" He led the class around the edge of the forbidden forest. They walked for a few minutes until they came to a fenced in area.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" Hagrid instructed. "That's it—make sure yeh can see—now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books…"

"How?" Malfoy called from the middle of his Slytherin gang.

"Eh?" Hagrid said.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy asked again, sneering. He pulled his book out, which was bounded together. Other students in the class took their books out as well.

"Hasn'—hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" Hagrid asked. Everyone shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter _stroke_ 'em," Hagrid explained. "Look…" He took Hermione's copy from her and unbound it. The book immediately tried to bite Hagrid's hand, but he took his finger and ran it along the book's spine. The book immediately calmed and opened up.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy said sarcastically. "We should have _stroked_ them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I—I thought they were funny," Hagrid said, frowning.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" Malfoy continued, getting smiles and giggles from his friends. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Liza said lazily. "What, are you scared of a little book? Do you really think that a _book_ could rip your hand off?" It was the Gryffindors' turn to snigger.

"Righ' then," Hagrid said, bringing the attention back to him, "so—so yeh've got yer books an'—an'—now yeh need the magical creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on…" He turned and walked into the forest to retrieve the creatures he was talking about.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," Malfoy complained. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him…"

"Shut up, Malfoy," Harry snapped.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you!" Pansy shrieked, cackling loudly.

"Unfortunately, Malfoy, after what happened at the end of last year, I don't think there's much your father can do about Dumbledore's choice of teacher," Liza said, smirking. "Is that all rich little snobs like you can do? Threaten to tell your daddy? If you hate it here so much, maybe you should've asked your daddy if you could have gone to a different school instead of whining about it every chance you get." Malfoy glared at her but before he could say anything back, they were interrupted by Hagrid coming back.

"Ooooooh!" Lavender said, directing the class's attention to the fair end of the enclosure. Hagrid was leading about a dozen creatures towards the class. When he reached the fence, he tethered the creatures to it and turned to the class.

"Hippogriffs!" he announced, holding his arms out to the creatures. "Beau'iful, aren' they?" Most of the class were looking at the hippogriffs with a sense of caution.

"So," Hagrid began, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer…" Liza eagerly edged forward to the edge of the fence, dragging Hermione, Harry, Ron, and John with her. "Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' hippogriffs is, they're proud," Hagrid explained. "Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do.

"Yeh always wait fer a hippogriff to make the firs' move," he continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.

"Righ'—who wants ter go first?" Hagrid asked, looking around at the class. Nobody wanted to volunteer to go first, even Liza, although she found the hippogriffs to be quite fascinating.

"No one?" Hagrid asked.

"I'll do it," Harry spoke up.

"Oooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!" Lavender and Parvati whispered together. Harry climbed over the fence to join Hagrid.

"Good man, Harry!" Hagrid boomed. "Right then—let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak." He led one of the hippogriffs forward away from the others and untied it.

"Easy, now, Harry," Hagrid said. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink… Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much…" Harry did as he was told, keeping eye contact with the hippogriff. "Tha's it. Tha's it, Harry…now, bow…" Again, Harry did what Hagrid said, and he bowed to Buckbeak. Buckbeak simply looked at him, not moving or bowing back.

"Ah," Hagrid said. "Right—back away, now, Harry, easy does it…" But then the hippogriff bent its front legs and bowed back at Harry.

"Well done, Harry!" Hagrid encouraged. "Right—yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!" Harry, looking nervous, slowly walked towards Buckbeak until he was able to pet his beak. Buckbeak shut his eyes, looking content. The class broke out into scattered applause.

"Righ' then, Harry," Hagrid said. "I reckon he migh' let you ride him!" Harry looked over at Hagrid in disbelief. "Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," Hagrid explained, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that…" So Harry carefully climbed up onto Buckbeak's back, looking very unsure of himself.

"Go on, then!" Hagrid shouted, giving Buckbeak a slap to get him going. The hippogriff let out a squawk and unfurled his huge wings. Then he took off, Harry clinging to his back. He flew once around the enclosed area before heading back for the ground. He landed on all fours, looking proud of himself, and Harry righted himself on the back. The class cheered.

"Good work, Harry!" Hagrid said, looking quite proud himself. "Okay, who else wants a go?" The rest of the class began to climb the fence, eager to pet the hippogriffs as well. Liza was the first one over, followed by Hermione, Ron, and John. Hagrid retrieved a chestnut colored hippogriff and led them to an area so they could practice. Harry slid off of Buckbeak and joined them.

Liza stepped up first, keeping her eyes on the hippogriff, and bowed slowly. The hippogriff seemed to consider her for a few seconds before bowing back. Liza walked slowly forward and began patting the side of its head.

"Hi, sweetie," she whispered. "You're a beautiful hippogriff, aren't you?" The hippogriff let out a low squawk.

Soon the entire class was practicing on the hippogriffs.

"This is very easy," Malfoy said eventually. He had gotten Buckbeak to bow at him, and he was now patting the hippogriff. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it… I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said, talking to Buckbeak. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

Buckbeak suddenly reared up and slashed at Malfoy's arm with his talons. Malfoy fell to the ground with a cry of pain, and Hagrid leapt forward, throwing the leather collar around Buckbeak's neck and restraining him to the fence.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy shouted from the ground. He cradled his arm to his chest; there was blood seeping out of his robes. "I'm dying, look at me! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dying," Hagrid said. "Someone help me—gotta get him outta here…" He bent down and picked Malfoy up. Hermione rushed forward, pushing the gate to the paddock open so Hagrid could take Malfoy up to the castle. The rest of the class started back up to the castle, as well, with Malfoy's friends loudly complaining about Hagrid.

"They should fire him straight away!" Pansy cried, tears in her eyes.

"It was Malfoy's fault!" Dean shouted incredulously.

"Seriously, were _any_ of you paying attention?" Liza added. "Hagrid said that hippogriffs were _proud creatures_ and that you never wanted to insult a hippogriff. And what did Malfoy do?"

"Draco didn't do anything wrong!" Pansy insisted.

"That's because you think the sun shines out of Malfoy's ass," John retorted. Liza let out a laugh at that, as did some of the other nearby Gryffindors. The class had reached the Entrance Hall.

"I'm going to see if he's okay!" Pansy said before running off in the direction of the hospital wing.

"I guess I'll be off to my common room," John said to Liza. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, see you," Liza replied, and she followed the rest of the Gryffindors up the marble staircase.

"D'you think he'll be all right?" Hermione asked, sounding worried.

"Course he will," Harry scoffed. "Madam Pomfrey can mend cuts in about a second."

"That was a really bad thing to happen in Hagrid's first class, though, wasn't it?" Ron asked nervously. "Trust Malfoy to mess things up for him…"

"Hagrid better not get in any trouble for this," Liza said angrily. "He told us exactly what would happen if we insulted a hippogriff, but was Malfoy listening? No!"

That evening, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza were some of the first students in the Great Hall for dinner. They looked expectantly at the staff table, but Hagrid wasn't there. The four Gryffindors sat at their table uneasily, unable to eat much.

"They _wouldn't_ fire him, would they?" Hermione finally spoke up anxiously.

"They'd better not," Liza scowled.

"Well, you can't say it wasn't an interesting day back," Ron added.

When they were finished, they went back up to Gryffindor tower to try and start their Transfiguration homework. Unfortunately, it was fair too nosy in the common room to get any work done. The four of them also found themselves often looking out the window, where Hagrid's hut was visible.

"There's a light on in Hagrid's window," Harry spoke up a while after they had started studying. Ron checked the time.

"If we hurried, we could go down and see him," he said. "It's still quite early…"

"I don't know," Hermione replied, glancing at Harry. Harry sighed.

"I'm allowed to walk across the _grounds_," he said. "Sirius Black hasn't got past the dementors yet, has he?"

"As far as we know," Liza mumbled, but the four of them put their homework away and exited the common room. They left the castle and trooped across the grounds, meeting nobody along the way. Reaching Hagrid's hut, Harry knocked loudly, and they heard Hagrid's voice from inside.

"C'min," he called. They entered the hut to find Hagrid sitting drunk at his table.

"'Spect it's a record," he started without properly greeting them. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"You haven't been fired, Hagrid!" Hermione cried, putting her hands to her mouth.

"Not yet," Hagrid replied. He took a gulp out of the large mug in front of him. "But 's only a matter o' time, i'n't it, after Malfoy…"

"How is he?" Ron asked, taking a seat at the table. The others followed suit, "It wasn't serious, was it?"

"Madam Pomfrey fixed him best she could," Hagrid answered, "but he's sayin' it's still agony…covered in bandages…moanin'…"

"He's faking it," Harry said in an attempt to calm Hagrid. "Madam Pomfrey can mend anything. She regrew half my bones last year. Trust Malfoy to milk it for all it's worth."

"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," Hagrid continued. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left hippogriffs fer later…done flobberworms or summat… Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson… 'S all my fault…"

"It's _Malfoy's_ fault, Hagrid!" Hermione insisted.

"We're witnesses," Harry added, nodding fiercely. "You said hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."

"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," Ron finished. Hagrid started crying, reaching forward and pulling Harry and Ron into a hug.

"I think you've had enough to drink, Hagrid," Liza said. She picked up the giant mug and took it outside to dump it out. She heard Hagrid follow her, but when she turned around she saw him dunking his head in a barrel full of water just outside the back door.

"What's he done?" Harry asked as Liza entered the hut again.

"Stuck his head in the water barrel," she replied, taking the mug over to Hagrid's sink. Hagrid stomped back into his house, his hair and beard dripping wet.

"Tha's better," he said. "Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really…" He trailed off as he looked at Harry. "WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he thundered, startling them all. "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, HARRY! AN' YOU THREE! LETTIN' HIM!" Hagrid took hold of Harry's arm and pulled him to the front door. "C'mon!" he demanded. "I'm takin' yer all back up ter school, an' don' let me catch yer walkin' down ter see me after dark again. I'm not worth that!"

Hagrid marched them all the way back up to Gryffindor tower, leaving them outside the Fat Lady's portrait after making them promise to not go wandering around the grounds at night again.

"I think he overreacted," Liza said after Hagrid had walked away. "It was hardly night."

"He's right, though," Hermione said. "Professor Dumbledore said that we should be careful because of the dementors, not just Sirius Black."

They entered the common room and resumed their Transfiguration homework. Liza couldn't help but think that it had been a very interesting day back, indeed.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: So no promises on when the next chapter will be up. It's the one with the boggart, and while I know what Liza's boggart is going to be, I'm having a hard time thinking of something funny to turn it into. But I'll have the chapter up as soon as I can figure that out!**_


	5. Chapter 5 Professor Lupin

_**A/N: This chapter ended up being slightly shorter than I thought it would .Oh well. Also, it's being uploaded so late because my boyfriend's cousin had a birthday party that we went today, so I was out of the house for a good chuck of the day. To be fair, though, I'm not necessarily planning on uploading a chapter of this story every day; it's just whenever I have time to do it.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 5 – Professor Lupin**

A few days later, the Gryffindors were in double Potions with the Slytherins. They were working on making a Shrinking Potion. Halfway through class, Malfoy sauntered into the classroom, his arm bandaged up and in a sling. It was the first class that he had been back for since the Care of Magical Creatures fiasco.

"How is it, Draco?" Pansy asked, looking thoroughly concerned. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," Malfoy replied, a dramatic look of pain crossing his face. Liza shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Settle down, settle down," Snape said from the front of the class. Liza exchanged a look with John, who was sitting next to her. Malfoy set up his cauldron at the table right next to Harry and Ron.

"Sir," Malfoy called to Snape, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm…"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," Snape said. A few minutes later, Malfoy spoke up again.

"Professor, Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir," he complained. Snape stood up and walked over to their tables.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley," he commanded.

"But, sir!" Ron cried.

"_Now_," Snape ordered.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," Malfoy added.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," Snape said. Then he moved away from them to check on the rest of the class's progress.

"Malfoy's a right slimy git," John said in a low voice. "Putting on a show like Madam Pomfrey didn't mend his arm in a heartbeat."

"He better not be trying to get Hagrid in trouble," Liza said, glowering at the back of Malfoy's head. "It's his own fault he got hurt." John grabbed Liza's arm as she was about to add leech juice to her cauldron.

"Only a little bit of that," he said. "You don't want to be dumping half a bottle into your cauldron while you're angry."

"Thanks," Liza said, genuinely grateful. The easiest way to stay out of trouble in Snape's class was to keep your mouth shut and concentrate on whatever potion you were brewing. Liza grabbed a spoon and poured some juice onto it, and then added it to her potion. She looked into her cauldron, frowning. It was quite as bright green as she would have hoped, but at least it was close to the color it should have been.

"Orange, Longbottom," Snape spoke up loudly from a few tables away. He picked up Neville's ladle and scooped some of the potion out of his cauldron. Then he turned the ladle over so everyone could see the orange-colored potion spill out. "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one rat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

"Not humiliating him in front of the entire class every time he messes up would be a good start," Liza muttered under her breath. Neville looked very upset.

"Please, sir," Hermione spoke up from her place next to Neville, "please, I could help Neville put it right…"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," Snape snapped. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly." He swept off across the dungeon.

"Hey, Harry," Seamus said, leaning over from the table next to Harry, "have you heard? _Daily Prophet_ this morning—they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

"Where?" Harry and Ron asked together.

"Not too far from here," Seamus replied. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone." Liza turned to John.

"Not too far from here," she repeated, looking nervous.

"It'll be okay," John said. "There are dementors at every entrance to the grounds. He wouldn't be able to get in without being spotted by them."

"No, you don't understand," Liza said. She lowered her voice to barely a whisper and told him, "Sirius Black is coming after Harry."

"That really shouldn't surprise me at this point," John said. "But the dementors will protect us, and Dumbledore will as well."

"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now," Snape announced. "This potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's…" Liza and John began to clean off their table, both filling a vial with a sample of their potion.

"I think mine looks a little too yellow," John said, frowning as he put a stopper in his vial.

"I don't think mine's bright enough," Liza said. "I'm sure you'll get full marks, though. You're a Slytherin. I'll get points docked just because I'm a Gryffindor." John chuckled and shook his head.

After everyone had washed up, Snape went over to Neville and his potion. Neville was practically cowering in fear.

"Everyone gather 'round," Snape said, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Potion, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned." Snape picked up Trevor the toad and poured a few drops of a spoonful of Neville's potion down the toad's throat.

The Gryffindors all seemed to hold their breaths as nothing happened. Then, after a second, Trevor disappeared. There was now a tadpole wiggling in Snape's hand. The Gryffindors cheered as Neville let out a sigh of relief. Snape fished out a small bottle from his robes and dropped a bit of the liquid onto Trevor, who turned back into a toad after another second.

"Five points from Gryffindor," Snape growled, which caused everyone to stop cheering. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed." He swept away from the group sourly, and Malfoy's group of Slytherins filed out of the dungeons, followed angrily by the Gryffindors.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right!" Ron spat. "Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!" Liza looked around but Hermione was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is she?" she asked.

"She was right behind us," Ron added, stopping at the top of the stairs from the dungeons. Harry, Liza, and John looked back on the stairs, but Hermione was not there.

"There she is," Harry said as Hermione appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked her when she had caught up with them.

"What?" Hermione said. "Oh—I had to go back for something. Oh no…" A ripping sound came from her backpack; a seam had split, revealing the corners of her multiple books.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked.

"You know how many subjects I'm taking," Hermione answered shortly. "Couldn't hold these for me, could you?" She shoved a few books into Ron's hands.

"But…" Ron trailed off, looking at the covers of the books she had handed him. "You haven't got any of these subjects today. It's only Defense Against the Dark Arts this afternoon."

"Oh, yes," Hermione said, not really paying attention to what Ron was saying. She took the books away from Ron and shoved them back into her bag before saying, "I hope there's something good for lunch, I'm starving." Then she walked away for the Great Hall.

"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?" Ron asked.

**~LJ:WF~**

After lunch, the Gryffindors proceeded to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Lupin was nowhere to be seen, so the Gryffindors sat down at the desks and pulled their books out.

Lupin was only a few minutes late. He smiled around at all of them as he walked to the front of the class.

"Good afternoon," he greeted them. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags. Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands." There was a flurry as the students put their books away and retrieved their wands. "Right then," Lupin continued once the class was ready. "If you'd follow me." Everyone exchanged glances of intrigue as they stood and followed Lupin from the room. They walked down the corridor and rounded the first corner to come face to face with Peeves the Poltergeist. Peeves was stuffing a door lock with gum, humming to himself.

Lupin led them forward, and when they were only a few feet away, Peeves turned to look at them.

"Loony, loopy Lupin," Peeves sang. "Loony, loopy Lupin, loony, loopy Lupin…"

"I'd take that gum out of the keyhole if I were you, Peeves," Lupin said cheerfully. "Mr. Filch won't be able to get in to his brooms." Peeves paid his words no attention; instead, he stuck his tongue out and blew a raspberry at them.

"This is a useful little spell," Lupin informed the class, withdrawing his wand from his robes. "Please watch closely." He cleared his throat, pointed his wand at Peeves, and said, "_WaddiwasiI_!" The chewing gum flew out of the lock and straight into Peeves's nose. Peeves let out a cry and zoomed away.

"Cool, sir!" Dean said excitedly.

"Thank you, Dean," Lupin replied. He stowed his wand away again and added, "Shall we proceed?" The class continued to follow Lupin, and he led them to the staff room.

"Inside, please," he said as he held the door open. The Gryffindors filed in, finding the staff room empty except for Snape. Lupin entered the room behind his students and was going to shut the door when Snape stopped him.

"Leave it open, Lupin," he said. "I'd rather not witness this." He got up from his chair and walked over to the door, but then he turned back and added, "Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear." Liza glared at the Potions teacher.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation," Lupin said, "and I am sure he will perform it admirably." Snape sneered but didn't say anything. He left the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

"Now, then," Lupin started, directing the classes attention back to him. He moved to stand next to the wardrobe at the end of the room. When he reached the wardrobe, it began to shake, causing most of the class to take a step backward.

"Nothing to worry about," Lupin assured them. "There's a boggart in there. Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks—I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what _is_ a boggart?" Hermione immediately put her hand in the air.

"It's a shape-shifter," she answered. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Lupin said with a nod. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears." Neville let out a scared whimper, but Lupin continued, "This means that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?" Hermione rose her hand anyway.

"Er," Harry said. "Because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," Lupin said, and Hermione let her hand fall. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake—tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening." Liza let out a giggle, and Lupin shot her a smile back.

"The charm that repels a boggart is simple," he continued, "yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finished a boggart is _laughter_. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please…_ridikulus_!"

"_Riddikulus_!" the class repeated.

"Good," Lupin said. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville." Neville gulped audibly as he shuffled forward.

"Right, Neville," Lupin said. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?" A noise came from Neville, but he seemed unable to form words.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," Lupin said. Neville looked around at his classmates before turning back to Lupin.

"Professor Snape," he mumbled. The Gryffindors laughed good-heartedly at his answer.

"Professor Snape…" Lupin repeated. "Hmmm… Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er—yes," Neville replied. "But—I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me," Lupin said, smiling warmly at Neville. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

"Well…always the same hat," Neville started. "A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress…green, normally…and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" Lupin asked.

"A big red one," Neville answered, nodding.

"Right then," Lupin said. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," Neville said.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," Lupin explained. "And you will raise your wand—thus—and cry '_Riddikulus_'—and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag." Everyone in the class let out a laugh.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," Lupin informed them. "I would like you all to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical…"

Liza knew at once what scared her the most. When she was about six years old, her parents had taken her to the ocean. It was a windy day, and the waves on the water were very choppy. Little Liza was wading water that was only up to her knees when a giant wave overtook her. She was swept under the water, and she could remember panicking, not knowing which direction was up. Her father had saved her, but ever since then, she had disliked water.

"Everyone ready?" Lupin announced after a few minutes. "Neville, we're going to back away. Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward… Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot…" The rest of the class back up so Neville had plenty of space to take a shot at the boggart.

"On the count of three, Neville," Lupin said. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at the wardrobe. "One—two—three—_now_!" He swished his wand, and the wardrobe door flew open. The boggart, who looked exactly like Professor Snape, stepped out and started towards Neville.

"_R—r—riddikulus_!" Neville stammered, holding his wand out with a shaking hand. The Boggart Snape tripped as his clothes changed into a bright green dress and a hat with a stuffed vulture on top. Everyone began laughing, and the boggart looked around, not sure what to change into next.

"Parvati!" Lupin exclaimed. "Forward!"

Parvati walked forward as Neville backed away. The boggart turned to Parvati and then there was a large crack. Where Boggart Snape had been standing there was now a mummy. It started limping towards Parvati.

"_Riddikulus_!" Parvati cried, and the mummy tripped over a bandage that had unraveled from its foot. It fell over and its head rolled off of its shoulders.

"Seamus!" Lupin said, and Seamus and Parvati switched places. The boggart changed from the mummy into a banshee. Liza had to put her hands over her ears as the banshee started screaming.

"_Riddikulus_!" Seamus bellowed. Suddenly the banshee stopped screaming. It put its hands to its throat; its voice was gone.

"Eliza—Liza!" Lupin said. Liza glanced at him quizzically before stepping forward. There was a crack and the boggart had changed into a large, dark wave looming over Liza's head. Her heart leapt but she held her wand out steady.

"_Riddikulus_!" she shouted. The wave of water became a wave of rubber ducks, all quacking loudly. Liza grinned, happy that she had been able to take on the boggart. She backed away and the boggart quickly shifted between a few different forms.

"It's confused!" Lupin explained. "We're getting there! Dean!" Dean stepped up, and the boggart became a severed hand. It scuttled towards Dean, using its fingers as feet.

"_Riddikulus_!" Dean yelled. A mousetrap appeared and snatched the boggart up.

"Excellent!" Lupin said, smiling. "Ron, you next!" Ron stepped up and the boggart turned into a giant spider. Liza shuddered.

"_Riddikulus_!" Ron cried. The legs of the spider disappeared, and it began to roll around on the floor. It rolled near Lavender, who shrieked and ran away from it, and then it stopped in front of Harry. Harry raised his wand, ready to face the boggart, but Lupin rushed forward.

"Here!" he said, and the boggart changed. At first nobody could figure out where it went, but then they noticed a silver sphere hanging in the air.

"_Riddikulus_!" Lupin stated, waving his wand. The boggart flew backwards and changed into a cockroach, thoroughly confused.

"Forward, Neville, and finished him off!" Lupin instructed, and Neville stepped forward, looking much less frightened. Boggart Snape reappeared.

"_Riddikulus_!" Neville roared. The boggart changed once again to Snape in the dress before finally disappearing for good. Everyone cheered and applauded.

"Excellent!" Lupin said, grinning. "Excellent, Neville. Well done, everyone… Let me see…five points to Gryffindor for every person to tackle the boggart—ten for Neville because he did it twice…and five each to Hermione and Harry."

"But I didn't do anything," Harry spoke up.

"You and Hermione answered my questions correctly at the start of class, Harry," Lupin replied. "Very well, everyone, an excellent lesson. Homework, kindly read the chapter on boggarts and summarize it for me….to be handed in on Monday. That will be all."

The class started filing from the staff room, but Liza hung back.

"Professor Lupin?" she said.

"Yes, Liza?" Lupin prompted, and Liza thought that has was looking at her with a look of slight apprehension on his face.

"I was just wondering how you knew my name on the train," she said. "And then today, you almost called me Elizabeth again."

"I don't think I'm going to be able to give you a satisfactory answer today, Liza," Lupin said, looking sheepish. "But not to worry, it's nothing to be bothered about."

"Okay," Liza replied. "I should catch up with my friends."

"I'll see you on Monday," Lupin said. Liza turned and hurried from the staff room, where Hermione was waiting for her.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked as they made their way back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"I have this weird feeling that Professor Lupin knows me," Liza told her friend. "He knew my name on the train before I ever said anything to him, and even if he'd been awake while we were talking, you guys would have been calling me Liza. Then today in class, he almost called me Elizabeth again."

"I'm sure it's some kind of coincidence," Hermione said.

"Yeah, probably," Liza agreed. The girls reached the classroom and collected their bags. Ron and Harry were there waiting for them.

"He seems like a very good teacher," Hermione commented as the four of them left the classroom. "But I wish I could have had a turn with the boggart…"

"What would it have been for you?" Ron snickered. "A piece of homework that only got nine out of ten?"

"Leave her alone, Ron," Liza scolded. She noticed Harry was being awfully quiet, so she asked him, "What's up, Harry?"

"Nothing," Harry replied. "Nothing, I'm fine." Liza shrugged, and the four Gryffindors climbed the stairs back to their common room.

**~LJ:WF~**


	6. Chapter 6 Hogsmeade

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 6 – Hogsmeade**

As September went on, Liza found herself getting used to having three more classes in her schedule. She had to spend a bit more time studying than she had in the past two years, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. Of her new classes, Muggle Studies and Arithmancy turned out to be very interesting. Professor Burbage and Professor Vector, the teacher for Arithmancy, both did a superb job with teaching their material. It also turned out that the Gryffindors and Slytherins were taking Arithmancy together, and Liza's friend Jake was in the class with Liza and Hermione. Liza spent a good amount of time talking to him, and she felt as though they were becoming better friends.

Defense Against the Dark Arts also became a class that Liza looked forward to going to. Professor Lupin was a great improvement over Professor Lockhart from the previous year. Lupin had continued to teach the third years about dark and dangerous creatures. As much as she enjoyed his teaching, however, Liza still couldn't help but wonder how he had known her name.

John had become Liza's permanent Potions table partner, and Liza was enjoying having the time to spend with him. It had been harder to hang out after classes since their workloads had increased since their second year. Having John at her table was one of the only things that made Potions bearable for Liza. Professor Snape seemed to have an even stronger vendetta against the Gryffindors than ever.

From the stories that Harry and Hermione told her about Divination class, Liza was more and more grateful that she hadn't taken the class. Professor Trelawney continued to sound like a phony. Whenever Liza and Hermione had their dormitory to themselves, Hermione would exaggeratingly reenact things that had happened in class, which almost always sent Liza into fits of laughter so hard that she would tear up. They had to avoid doing these things in front of Lavender and Parvati, though, as they had become very close to Professor Trelawney.

The only class Liza was very disappointed in was Care of Magical Creatures. After what had happened to Malfoy, Hagrid seemed very nervous to show the class anything other than flobberworms. They spent all of class learning how to take care of these creatures, but they didn't need much attention.

September ended and October began with chilly winds and overcast skies. October also meant the start of the Quidditch season, which meant that Harry was going to practices in the evening a few times a week.

In mid-October, a notice went up on the bulletin board in the Gryffindor common room. Harry had gone off to Quidditch practice, and Hermione, Ron, and Liza were studying Astronomy in front of the fireplace when Professor McGonagall came into the common room.

"Sorry to interrupt," she announced as she entered. "I'm just here to put up a notice. The first Hogsmeade weekend this year will be on Halloween." There was a large break out of conversations as Professor McGonagall went up to the board and pinned it up.

A little while later, the Gryffindor Quidditch team came stomping into the common room. Harry walked over to his friends, looking interested in what everyone was talking about.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," Ron replied, gesturing to the bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," Fred, who had followed Harry over, said, grinning. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of stink pellets." Liza wrinkled her nose.

"Why would you need stink pellets?" she asked.

"I don't know if you've noticed this about my brother and me," Fred answered, "but we're pretty into the whole practical joke thing." Liza rolled her eyes.

"Your sarcasm is noted," she muttered. Fred grinned at her and ruffled her hair before leaving for his dormitory. Harry sank into an empty chair next to Ron.

"Harry, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," Hermione said to him. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"Black's not fool enough to try anything in Hogsmeade," Ron insisted. "Ask McGonagall if you can go this time, Harry. The next one might not be for ages…"

"_Ron_!" Hermione gasped.

"Black is the only person to ever escape from Azkaban," Liza said. "What makes you think he wouldn't try to do anything in Hogsmeade if he wanted to?"

"Besides, Harry's supposed to _stay in school_…" Hermione reminded them.

"He can't be the only third year left behind," Ron argued. "Ask McGonagall, go on, Harry…"

"Yeah, I think I will," Harry agreed. Liza rolled her eyes.

"He might be the only third year who didn't get his permission form signed, but he's also the only third year who Black is hunting down," she pointed out, but Ron and Harry ignored her. Crookshanks interrupted them, jumping up onto Hermione's lap with a spider in his mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" Ron asked.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" Hermione cooed.

"Just keep him over there, that's all," Ron said, glaring at the cat. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag." Harry excused himself then to go upstairs and get his homework. When he returned to the common room, he tried to stifle a yawn as he pulled his Astronomy homework out.

"You can copy mine, if you like," Ron offered. He handed his finished chart over. Hermione gave a little shake of her head but didn't say anything. Harry started looking over his and Ron's charts when Crookshanks suddenly sprung towards Ron's bag.

"OY!" Ron yelled, grabbing his bag and trying to pull it away from Crookshanks. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!" Crookshanks sank his claws into the bag and refused to let go.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" Hermione cried, but Ron wasn't listening. He stood up, swinging his bag from side to side, but Crookshanks wouldn't let go. All the swinging, however, caused Scabbers to go flying from the top of the bag. Crookshanks lunged after the rat.

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron bellowed. George was the only person that attempted to grab Crookshanks, but he missed. Scabbers shot under a set of drawers, and Crookshanks swiped his paws underneath. Hermione and Ron rushed over, and Hermione picked Crookshanks up. Ron fell down onto his stomach and managed to fish Scabbers out from under the drawers.

"Look at him!" Ron shouted, holding Scabbers out in front of Hermione's face. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" Hermione insisted. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"Boots has never chased Scabbers around like your monster has!" Ron shot back, pointing at Liza.

"Hey, don't bring my cat into this," Liza said, frowning. "Hermione's right, most cats will chase mice. Mine just happens to be extremely lazy, and she's used to Scabbers by now."

"There's something funny about that animal!" Ron said. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," Hermione scoffed. "Crookshanks could _smell_ him, Ron, how else d'you think…?"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" Ron interrupted. "And Scabbers was here first, _and_ he's ill!" He turned on his heel and stamped up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, his ripped bag in one hand and Scabbers, still struggling to break free, in the other.

"I've never really noticed what a cry baby Ron can be sometimes," Liza said as she and Hermione rejoined Harry in front of the fire. "He's smart enough to know that cats chase rats and mice and spiders…"

"I do hope Crookshanks didn't hurt Scabbers," Hermione said in a small voice.

"I'm sure Scabbers is fine," Liza reassured her. "Besides, remember what the witch in the animal shop said? Common garden rats only live three or four years. Scabbers is, what, twelve years old? It's amazing he's lived this long to begin with." Hermione nodded.

"I don't know," Harry said. "Ron has a point, Scabbers has been feeling ill, and it's not helping when Crookshanks starts chasing him all over the place."

"Then Ron should leave Scabbers upstairs in his dormitory," Liza said, shaking her head.

"And what about your cat not attacking Scabbers?" Harry pointed out.

"My cat's too lazy to chase rats around," Liza replied. "Boots has never chased any little animal in her whole life. She just doesn't care about it."

"Never mind, let's just get back to our homework," Hermione said, and they all continued doing their star charts.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next morning, Ron was still very upset. He didn't say a word to anyone all through breakfast, and he only spoke when he had to during their first class of the day, Herbology.

Professor Sprout set them to work on pulling the pink beans off of a batch of puffapods. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all worked together at the same table, while Liza worked with Neville and Dean. It was fairly easy work.

"How's Scabbers?" Hermione asked Ron about half way through the class. Ron ripped a few beans from the puffapod angrily.

"He's hiding at the bottom of my bed, shaking," he growled. He threw the beans at their wooden bucket but missed, and the beans scattered across the floor of the greenhouse.

"Careful, Weasley, careful!" Professor Sprout scolded.

At the end of the lesson, Ron stomped ahead of the rest of the class. After exchanging looks with Liza, Harry hurried after him. Liza walked with Hermione.

"I can't believe he's still upset," Hermione said. "I don't know what I can say to him to make things better."

"You don't have to say anything," Liza insisted. "You didn't do anything. It's not your fault that Crookshanks wants to chase rats." Hermione looked doubtful, and Liza decided to drop the subject.

When they reached the Transfiguration classroom, they were startled to see Lavender crying and surrounded by Parvati, Dean, Seamus, Harry, and Ron.

"What's the matter, Lavender?" Hermione asked as she and Liza joined the group.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati explained in a hushed voice. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lavender," Hermione said.

"I should have known!" Lavender cried. "You know what day it is?" Liza shook her head along with Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Lavender wailed, "The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

"Who's 'she'?" Liza asked.

"Professor Trelawney," Parvati answered, her arm wrapped around her sobbing friend's shoulders. Liza looked at Hermione and knew at once they were thinking the same thing.

"You—you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?" Hermione asked tentatively.

"Well, not necessarily by a _fox_," Lavender answered, "but I was _obviously_ dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," Hermione said. She paused and then asked further, "Was Binky an _old_ rabbit?"

"N—No!" Lavender said. "H—He was only a baby!"

"Then why would you be dreading him dying?" Liza pointed out bluntly. Everyone looked around at her.

"Well, think about it logically," Hermione started. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today, and she _can't_ have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock…"

"Don't mind Hermione, Lavender," Ron said, "she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much."

"Shut up, Ron," Liza snapped. "Hermione is completely right. Stop being a whiney little baby. And Lavender—Hermione's sorry that your rabbit was killed, but Professor Trelawney didn't predict anything. It was merely a coincidence that she said something about October sixteenth, and then you received a letter about Binky's death today."

"How would you know?" Parvati scoffed. "You don't even taken Divination." She tightened her arm around Lavender and pulled her away. Professor McGonagall opened the classroom door then, beckoning the Gryffindors inside.

"Thanks, Liza," Hermione said as the rest of the class filed in. Liza let out a breath and gave her friend a small smile. The girls entered last, sitting at the same table together.

At the end of the lesson, as the bell was ringing, Professor McGonagall called for silence.

"One moment, please!" she said loudly. When she had their attention, she began, "As you're all in my House, you should hand Hogsmeade permission forms to me before Halloween. No form, no visiting the village, so don't forget!"

"Please, Professor," Neville said, putting his hand up, "I—I think I've lost…"

"Your grandmother sent me your directly, Longbottom," Professor McGonagall reassured him. "She seemed to think it was safer. Well, that's all, you may leave." Liza and Hermione stood and walked towards the door.

They were passing Harry and Ron when they heard Ron say, "Ask her now." Hermione and Liza halted immediately.

"Oh, but," Hermione started but Ron, ignoring her, insisted, "Go for it, Harry." Harry nodded and went up to talk to Professor McGonagall. Ron followed Hermione and Liza out of the classroom.

"He really shouldn't be going to Hogsmeade while Black's still on the loose," Liza said as soon as the door had shut behind them. "You know that's true, Ron."

"It's not fair that he shouldn't be allowed to go," Ron replied.

"Is it?" Liza shot back. "Is it really? Sometimes there are rules put into place for a very good reason."

"Look, I just want my best mate to be able to enjoy Hogsmeade as much as we will," Ron said. Liza rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Hermione," she said. "Let's go to class." Hermione nodded, and the girls left Ron behind to wait for Harry.

**~LJ:WF~**

Unsurprisingly, Professor McGonagall had refused to let Harry visit the village without his permission form signed. No matter what Liza and Hermione said to try and convince him that it was safer for him in the castle, Harry remained upset about not being able to go.

In the two weeks that followed, Liza and Hermione were ignored by most of their third year Gryffindor classmates. Ron was still upset about what had happened between Scabbers and Crookshanks. He would hold civilized conversations with the girls, but he refused to spend any time in the company of Crookshanks. Lavender and Parvati were also giving Liza and Hermione the cold shoulder because of what had happened with Lavender's rabbit. This made for some very awkward evenings when they were all in the dormitory at the same time. Seamus and Dean spent a lot of time with Lavender and Parvati, and Harry wasn't talking much with anybody. Neville was the only one to really have conversations with them.

On the morning of Halloween, and the first trip to Hogsmeade, Liza and Hermione woke up to find that Lavender and Parvati had already left the dormitory. They got up and dressed, making sure to wear their Gryffindor zip up jackets, as the weather had been chilly lately. Once they were satisfied with their outfits, they left Gryffindor tower for breakfast.

When they reached the Entrance Hall, they met up with John, Jake, and Rhonda, who were also going to breakfast.

"Good morning, Liza, Hermione," John greeted. "Isn't it a lovely day to visit the charming village of Hogsmeade?"

"Morning," Liza replied. "Do you guys want to come down to Hogsmeade with us? It'd be nice to have some friendly faces around." John nodded, knowing about how Liza and Hermione had been feeling isolated from their classmates lately.

"What do you guys think?" he asked Jake and Rhonda.

"Oh, yeah, sure," Rhonda said. "The more the merrier."

"Fine by me," Jake agreed. The five students entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Ron and Harry soon joined them. Liza had told John that Harry wasn't able to go to Hogsmeade, and she hoped that he wouldn't bring it up.

But since it was so exciting, it was hard to not talk about Hogsmeade. All the students around them, besides the first and second years, were all babbling away about what they were going to do. Harry grew more miserable the longer breakfast went on.

Finally it was time to go to Hogsmeade. Harry got up and walked with the group to the Entrance Hall.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," Hermione reassured him.

"Yeah, loads," Ron agreed.

"Don't worry about me," Harry said. "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

"You, too," Liza said. "Don't get in too much trouble without us." Harry cracked a small smile, but it didn't last long. He waved at his friends before turning and heading for the marble staircase.

"Staying here, Potter?" Malfoy called from his spot in the line waiting to be cleared to leave. "Scared of passing the dementors?" He, Crabbe, and Goyle guffawed, but Harry didn't turn around.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Liza said as she and her friends passed him on their way to the end of the line.

"So, what should we do first?" Jake asked excitedly.

"Well, if we're going to take some sweets back to Harry, I think we should hit Honeydukes last," Liza said. "Then we won't have to be carrying candy around with us all day."

"Let's just explore the village," Rhonda suggested. "If we see anything interesting, we can stop and take a look." The rest of them agreed.

The line to leave was very long. Filch was checking each and every person against a long list of those who had turned in permission forms. When they finally got to the front of the line, Filch let them pass, and they left the castle.

There was a winding pathway that led down to the village. It was a nearly fifteen minute walk to get to the gates that led from the grounds to Hogsmeade. There were two dementors on guard nearby, but neither of them moved as the students walked by.

Hogsmeade was a small village with one major street, called High Street, where all the famous shops were located. The trees around them were full of yellow and orange leaves, and leaves cluttered the cobblestone street. Liza's eyes were wide at the sight of the fully magical village.

Ron had seemed to forget about everything that had happened between him and Hermione and Liza, something Liza was extremely grateful for. The three Gryffindors and three Slytherins were probably the oddest group of students in the village that day, but even Ron was too awestruck to care.

The first shop they went into was a repair store called Dervish & Banges. From there they stopped in at the post office to see what it was like, and then a music shop called Dominic Maestro's. Next, at Hermione's insistence, they went into the bookshop, which was called Tomes and Scrolls. Hermione ended up buying two books, and the rest of them had to drag her out of the shop before they spent all afternoon there.

It was getting close to lunch time, so they stopped in at the pub, The Three Broomsticks. There they each got a sandwich and a mug of butterbeer. Liza had never had butterbeer before, and she was presently surprised at how warm it made her feel.

"I wonder what Harry's up to," Hermione said as they ate their small lunch.

"I'm sure he found something to occupy his time," Liza answered.

"I just hope he's not too bored," Hermione added. "Hopefully they'll catch Black, and then maybe Professor McGonagall will reconsider letting him visit."

Once they had finished their butterbeer, the group decided to go over to Zonko's Joke Shop.

"This is the Weasley twins' favorite store, apparently," Liza said to John as Ron led the way to the shop. They all filed into the building and were amazed by how big the shop actually was. They spent a long time inside, and everything was so interesting that not even Hermione minded when they spent more time in the shop than they had at the bookstore.

Finally they were able to pull themselves away to march down the street to Honeydukes. Inside this shop was a hundred different types of candy, all colorfully wrapped and packaged. Liza's arms were quickly full of candy that she had picked out for herself and for Harry.

It was getting late when they decided it was time to get back up to the castle. Groups of students were already walking up the path away from the village. They didn't want to miss the Halloween feast, and they still had to get Harry his candy. So they walked the fifteen minute walk back to Hogwarts, said good bye to their Slytherin friends in the Entrance Hall, and made it back to the Gryffindor common room with plenty of time to spare.

They found Harry sitting in one of the chairs in front of the fire with some of his school work on his lap.

"There you go," Ron said, dropping the bag of candy they had filled onto Harry's lap. "We got as much as we could carry."

"Thanks," Harry said, digging around in the bag and pulling out a packet of Pepper Imps. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

The three launched into describing Hogsmeade, telling him about all the shops they had went into.

"The post office, Harry!" Hermione exclaimed. "About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge," Ron added. "They were giving out free samples, we brought you some, it's in that bag somewhere."

"We _think_ we saw an ogre," Liza said. "They get all sorts at The Three Broomsticks…"

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer," Ron said, "really warms you up…"

"What did you do?" Hermione asked when they were finished talking about Hogsmeade. "Did you get any work done?"

"No," Harry replied. "Lupin made me a cup of tea in his office. And then Snape came in… He was carrying this goblet full of liquid. It had smoke coming off the top of it. Snape said that Lupin had to drink it right away, and that he had a whole cauldron full for Lupin if he needed more of it."

"Did Lupin say what the potion was?" Liza asked.

"He just said that he hadn't been feeling well," Harry continued. "He said that this potion was the only thing that would make him feel better, but it's a very complex potion, so that's why Snape made it. And then Lupin drank the entire potion."

"_Lupin drank it_?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"What, do you think that Snape would have fed Lupin poison?" Liza asked, very doubtful that that was the case.

"We'd better go down, you know," Hermione interrupted, "the feast'll be starting in a few minutes." The four Gryffindors exited the common room, still discussing what Snape was up to.

"I don't think Snape would try to poison one of the other professors right under Dumbledore's nose," Liza continued as they walked down to the Great Hall.

"I think he'd do almost anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job," Harry said.

"But if he—you know," Hermione said in a hushed voice, "if he _was_ trying to—to poison Lupin—he wouldn't have done it in front of Harry."

"Yeah, maybe," Harry said, still looking unconvinced. They reached the Entrance Hall and followed the crowd swarming to go to the feast.

The Great Hall had been transformed since Liza had seen it at breakfast. There were pumpkins with candles in them floating in the air where there were usually just candles floating. Bats were flying around the Hall, and there were streamers strung across the rafters of the ceiling. Liza and her friends took seats at the Gryffindor table next to the Weasley twins and Neville.

"Look, Harry," Liza said, pointing at the staff table. "Lupin is there, and he looks very normal." Harry looked up and then shrugged, seemingly satisfied for now.

The House and staff tables were filled to the brim with wonderful food. Liza, Ron, and Hermione hadn't eaten that much throughout their trip to Hogsmeade, so they all piled their plates full. The Great Hall was full of joy and laughter.

Liza thought back to her past two Halloweens. When she was a first year, the feast had been interrupted by a troll being set loose in the castle. In her second year, she and her friends had been invited to Nearly Headless Nick's Deathday party, which had been a very interesting experience. After they had left the party, Filch's cat Mrs. Norris had been found Petrified, and the Chamber of Secrets had been opened. Liza was hoping that this Halloween could end much more cheerfully than the last two had.

At the end of the feast, the castle ghosts all performed for the students, leaving the Hall ringing with laughter and praise. When they were finished, Professor Dumbledore stood up and bid the school good night. The students all started to leave the Great Hall and head back to their dormitories.

Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione trooped up the stairs and down corridors to Gryffindor tower. However, when they reached the corridor that housed the portrait hole, they found themselves in a crowd of Gryffindors all standing outside the Fat Lady's portrait.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" Ron asked, standing on his tiptoes to see if he could find why nobody was entering the common room.

"Let me through, please." Percy had arrived, and he was pushing himself forward through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password—excuse me, I'm Head Boy…" A hush fell over the crowd, and then Percy's voice rang out firmly, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick." There were still Gryffindors joining the crowd from the Halloween feast, and everyone was very confused.

Suddenly, Professor Dumbledore arrived. The Gryffindors all cleared a path for the Headmaster, who made his way to the front of the line. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza were able to move forward and get a good view of the portrait hole.

"Oh, my…" Hermione said, clutching onto Harry and Liza's arm. The usual portrait was hanging on the wall, but the Fat Lady was nowhere to be seen. The canvas has been slashed at, and there were bits of the portrait littering the floor in front of it.

Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape all arrived then. Dumbledore turned to them and said, "We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" a voice from above them laughed. They all turned to see Peeves floating in midair.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked. Peeves's face sobered up at being addressed by the Headmaster.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir," he explained. "Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful. Poor thing," he added in a fake simpering tone.

"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore pressed calmly.

"Oh, yes, Professorhead," Peeves answered. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over in the air so he was upside down. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: I thought about continuing this chapter, but I figured, the book left such a nice cliffhanger that I might as well use it, too.**_

_**I'm not going to start the next chapter tonight; it might be finished and up tomorrow sometime, but it might not. I don't want to start making any promises, because once I do, I know I'll lose my writing wind and it'll be a year or two before I start writing the story again. And that would be annoying for anybody who's reading this, and it would also be annoying for me. Huzzah.**_


	7. Chapter 7 Harry's First Loss

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 7 – Harry's First Loss**

A panic spread through the Gryffindors after Peeves had zoomed away, cackling.

"All Gryffindor students," Dumbledore thundered, "will proceed to the Great Hall. Immediately, please." Slowly, all the students turned around and made their way back to the Great Hall. Soon after, they were joined by the rest of the school, all of whom looked confused.

"Liza!" John called, hurrying over to her. "What's going on?"

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore announced from the doors of the Great Hall before Liza could answer. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbances should be reported to me immediately. Send word with one of the ghosts," he added, looking over at Percy. Dumbledore turned to leave before pausing and looking back to say, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…"

He pulled out his wand and waved it over his head. The four House tables flew up against the walls. Dumbledore waved his wand once more, and a bunch of purple sleeping bags appeared on the floor.

"Sleep well," Dumbledore said. He left the Great Hall, followed by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick.

"What happened?" John asked Liza again.

"Sirius Black got into the castle," she told him. "He tried to get into our common room. He slashed the Fat Lady's portrait up. The Fat Lady disappeared, so we couldn't get into Gryffindor tower."

"Sirius Black?" John asked, bewildered.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy shouted above the conversations that had broken out. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" John said good night to Liza and went back over to his Slytherin friends.

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry, Hermione, and Liza. They grabbed some sleeping bags and pulled them away from the other students.

"D'you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he is," Ron replied.

"Hopefully if he is, the teachers will catch him," Liza said. The four of them slid into their sleeping bags.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," Hermione said. "The one night we weren't in the tower…"

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," Ron said. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here." The four of them were silent for a while as they listened to the students around them brainstorming how Black had gotten into the castle.

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," a second year Ravenclaw said to her friends. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," a fifth year Hufflepuff said.

"He could have flown in," Dean said from nearby.

"Honestly, am I the _only_ person who's ever bothered to read _Hogwarts, A History_?" Hermione asked, looking slightly annoyed.

"Probably," Ron answered. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more that _walls_, you know," Hermione explained. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…"

"The lights are going out now!" Percy announced. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" The candles were extinguished, and the conversations dropped down to whispers. Although Liza, Harry, Hermione, and Ron didn't keep talking, they all found it hard to fall asleep.

Every hour a teacher came in to check on them. The prefects, Head girl, and Percy continued to patrol around the Hall. Liza tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, but still hadn't fallen asleep.

About halfway through the night, Professor Dumbledore reentered the Great Hall. He walked through the sleeping bags towards Percy, who was very close to Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Liza quickly pretended to be asleep and listened intently to what the Headmaster had to say.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked.

"No," Dumbledore replied. "All well here?"

"Everything is under control, sir," Percy answered.

"Good. There's no point in moving them all now," Dumbledore sighed. "I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" Percy asked.

"Hiding in a map of Argyllsire on the second floor," Dumbledore replied. "Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her." Then there were footsteps, and a third voice joined the conversation.

"Headmaster?" Snape had come into the Great Hall. "The whole third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing their either."

"What about the Astronomy tower?" Dumbledore asked. "Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched," Snape reported.

"Very well, Severus," Dumbledore said. "I didn't really expect Black to linger."

"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" Snape asked. Liza almost lifted her head too look at the professors, but she stopped herself.

"Many, Severus, each as unlikely as the next," Dumbledore replied.

"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before—ah—the start of term," Snape said.

"I do, Severus," Dumbledore said.

"It seems—almost impossible—that Black could have entered the school without inside help," Snape explained. "I did express my concerns when you appointed…"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," Dumbledore replied sharply. "I must go down to the dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh, yes," Dumbledore said. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster." Liza cracked her eyes open to see Professor Dumbledore left the hall again. Professor Snape followed him after a few moments, and Percy continued his rounds of the Great Hall. Liza looked over at her friends, all of whom had their eyes open.

"What was that all about?" Ron breathed.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next day when the Gryffindors went up to their tower, they found that the Fat Lady's portrait had been replaced by a painting of a knight.

"That's Sir Cadogan," Hermione told Liza. "He helped Ron, Harry, and me find Professor Trelawney's class on our first day."

Unfortunately for the Gryffindors, Sir Cadogan had a habit of changing the password multiple times throughout the week. He also liked to challenge students to a duel before they were able to enter the common room. According to Percy, however, Sir Cadogan was the only one who was willing to take over the job.

At the end of the week, the Gryffindors received another piece of unfortunately news. The Quidditch team had been scheduled to play Slytherin that Saturday, but the Slytherins asked to postpone their match.

"What do you mean, the Slytherins are postponing the match?" Ron asked after Harry had told them.

"Apparently Malfoy's arm is still injured," Harry said darkly. "Oliver thinks that the Slytherins just don't want to play in the rainy weather."

"How could anyone believe that Malfoy's arm is still injured?" Liza said fiercely.

The next day, the day before the match, Oliver Wood practically followed Harry to every class, trying to give him advice for the upcoming match. Liza, Hermione, and Ron went ahead of him to Defense Against the Dark Arts that afternoon after Oliver cornered him for the third time.

"Do you think Oliver is going to make Harry late for class?" Hermione asked anxiously as she and Liza sat down at a table together. Ron sat at the table next to theirs, saving the other seat for Harry.

"Maybe," Liza replied. "Oliver is just upset that they have to play against a different team tomorrow."

The door to the classroom opened, and the class all turned their heads to see Professor Snape striding down to the front of the class.

"Good afternoon, Gryffindors," he said. "I'm sorry to inform you that Professor Lupin is not feeling well and has asked me to take his classes for the day. Now, if you'll please take out your books, I'm going to look over Professor Lupin's notes to find out where you are." Snape went to Lupin's desk while the Gryffindors murmured in surprise.

There was awkward silence as the class waited for Snape to begin the lesson, but he was looking through the papers on Lupin's desk. Then he finally looked up.

"It seems as though Professor Lupin hasn't left any record of what you've covered these past few months," he started, but then the classroom door opened.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I…" Harry stuttered to a halt as he realized that Snape was standing at the front of the room.

"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter," Snape sneered, "so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down." Liza wanted to protest; Snape had just wasted the past ten minutes looking through Lupin's desk. Harry continued standing, frozen in his tracks.

"Where's Professor Lupin?" he asked.

"He says he's feeling too ill to teach today," Snape replied. "I believe I told you to sit down?" Harry didn't move

"What's wrong with him?" he demanded.

"Nothing life-threatening," Snape answered loftily. "Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty." Harry walked over and sat down next to Ron.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far," Snape began again.

"Please, sir," Hermione said, putting her hand in the air, "we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows, and we're just about to start…"

"Be quite," Snape interrupted, glaring at Hermione. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean piped up. The rest of the class nodded their agreement.

"You are easily satisfied," Snape scoffed. "Lupin is hardly overtaxing you—I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss…" He opened the textbook on Lupin's desk and turned to the end of it. Then he said, "Werewolves."

"But, sir," Hermione said, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks…"

"Miss Granger, I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you," Snape said. "And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He looked around as all the students stared at him. "_All_ of you! _Now_!" The class hesitantly opened their books to the page.

"Which of you can tell me how we distinguished between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape asked. Hermione was the only one who put her hand in the air, but Snape ignored her and asked, "Anyone? Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between…"

"We told you," Parvati interrupted him, "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on…"

"_Silence_!" Snape barked. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"

"Please, sir," Hermione insisted, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf…"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," Snape said icily. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all." Liza over at her friend, and saw the tears that were pooling in Hermione's eyes. Liza turned to say something to Snape, but Ron beat her to the punch.

"You asked us a question, and she knew the answer!" he shouted indignantly. "Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

"Detention, Weasley," Snape said. "And if I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."

The class fell silent, and Snape set them to taking notes out of the textbook. He then retrieved a stack of papers from Lupin's desk and began looking through them. It was their homework on kappas that they had recently turned in, and Snape made it a point to point out all the flaws in their work.

At the end of the class, Snape told them they had homework.

"You will each write an essay, to be handed in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves," he announced. "I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time someone took this class in hand. Weasley, stay behind, we need to arrange your detention." Liza, Hermione, and Harry left the classroom and waited outside for Ron.

"'It is time someone took this class in hand,'" Liza repeated mockingly. "Well, news flash, it's not up to you! Lupin is doing a great job."

"Snape's never been this way with any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, even if he did want the job," Harry said, frowning. "Why's he got it in for Lupin? D'you think this is all because of the boggart?"

"I don't know," Hermione said miserably. "But I really hope Professor Lupin gets better soon…" Ron stomped out of the room a few minutes later and joined his friends.

"Do you know what that," Ron called Snape a degrading word, "is making me do? I've got to scrub out the bedpans in the hospital wing. _Without magic_! Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"

**~LJ:WF~**

The next morning dawned cold and with thunderstorms. Hermione and Liza got ready for the match, making sure to put on extra layers to stay warm. The wind howled against the windows panes.

"They won't make them play Quidditch in this, will they?" Hermione fretted as they got dressed. "I mean, they could get struck by lightning."

"They don't call Quidditch off for anything," Liza replied. Hermione shuddered as a large boom of thunder rolled across the sky. "Come on, let's go down to breakfast," Liza said. "See how Harry's holding up."

The girls left the dormitory and headed down to the Great Hall. The Gryffindor team was sitting together in their Quidditch robes. Liza and Hermione joined Ron and Neville.

"Is Oliver isolating the team again?" Liza asked.

"Of course," Ron replied. "They're looking pretty nervous, but it's just Hufflepuff."

"I think it might have to do a lot with the weather," Liza said. Then John joined them from the Slytherin table.

"Excited to watch a match in this downpour?" he asked, grinning.

"It'll be interesting," Liza replied. "Are you going to come stand with us?"

"Yeah, sure," he said. "I wasn't originally planning on it, but that was when Gryffindor was supposed to play Slytherin." His smile fell and a look of annoyance crossed his face. "You should have heard Malfoy gloating about it in the common room the past few days."

"I can imagine," Liza said, glancing across the Great Hall at the Slytherin table. Malfoy was sitting with his usual gang of friends, looking very smug.

After breakfast, the Gryffindor team left for the stadium. Liza, John, Hermione, Ron, and Neville all left as well. When they reached the front doors, they saw just how hard it was raining. They pulled their hoods over their heads and then made a run for it. By the time they reached the Quidditch pitch, they were all soaking. Luckily, the stands where they would be watching the game had awnings over the seats. The group shuffled into a row among mostly Gryffindor students, waiting for the match to begin.

They could barely make out the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs walking across the field to shake hands in the center. Madam Hooch was there, as well. The teams mounted their broomsticks, and then they were shooting off, the game beginning.

It was nearly impossible to see the players zooming around the pitch. They could barely hear Lee Jordan announcing the score throughout the stadium.

"There's no way they can see out there!" Liza shouted to her friends above the noise. "How is Harry ever going to find the Snitch in this?"

Eventually they saw the Gryffindor team land on the pitch. Oliver had called a time out.

"I've just had an idea!" Hermione cried. She pushed through the crowd and ran out onto the field.

"Why can she never tell us her ideas?" Ron asked, shaking his head. Hermione had reached the Gryffindor team. She was only with them for about a minute before she came running back towards the crowd.

"What was all that about?" Liza asked as Hermione rejoined them.

"I charmed Harry's glasses so they would deflect the rain and he could see," she replied. "Let's just hope it's done the trick!"

The game continued on, and, though it hardly seemed possible, the weather got worse. There was thunder and lightning happening more frequently as the minutes ticked on.

Then Liza saw Harry turn and streak after the Hufflepuff Seeker.

"They've seen the Snitch!" she shouted, grabbing onto John's arm.

"Liza!" Hermione screeched. "Liza, look!" Liza tore her eyes away from Harry and looked to the field where Hermione was pointing. Her stomach dropped as she saw a large group of dementors gliding across the field. Then she looked back at Harry, who gave a lurch and then slid sideways from his broom.

"HARRY!" Liza screamed, and the others in the stands around her were pointing towards him, as well. Harry was plummeting from what had to be at least fifty feet in the air. Suddenly, Professor Dumbledore was charging across the field, his wand held aloft. He waved it at Harry, slowing his fall. Then Dumbledore turned and a silver mist came out of the end of his wand, as Professor Lupin had done on the Hogwarts Express. The dementors immediately fled from the field.

Madam Hooch was whistling, signaling that the game was over and Hufflepuff had won. The Hufflepuff Seeker landed next to her and seemed to be talking animatedly with her. Oliver swooped down from the air with the rest of the team and huddled around Harry. Professor Dumbledore conjured up a stretcher and levitated Harry onto it. Then he was leading the floating stretcher back up to the castle.

Liza darted from her place in the stands and caught up to the Weasley twins.

"What happened?" she asked. "Is Harry all right? Did Professor Dumbledore say anything?" George put a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down.

"Dumbledore's taking him up to the hospital wing," he said. He paused before saying, "Wait for Fred and me, we'll take you up to the hospital wing once we put our brooms away." So Liza waited outside the Gryffindor locker room while the team put their things away. Hermione, Ron and John all caught up with her.

"Did they say anything?" Hermione asked, her voice shaky.

"I'm waiting for the team," Liza replied. "They're going to go up to the hospital wing to see him." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Fred, George, and the three Chasers, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, exited the locker rooms.

"Come on," Fred said, beckoning to Harry's friends. Liza and the others followed the Gryffindor team up to the castle and they hurried to the hospital wing.

Madam Pomfrey let them in after they promised to not disturb Harry.

"He's alive?" Angelina blurted, blushing as everyone turned to look at him.

"Yes, of course he's alive," Madam Pomfrey answered. "He's a very lucky boy." The Gryffindor team and Liza, Ron, Hermione, and John gathered around the bed that Harry was in. They stood around in silence for a while before Professor Flitwick entered the hospital wing with a bag.

"Here's what's left of Harry's broomstick," he said in a sad voice.

"Thanks, Professor," Liza said, taking the bag from him. Professor Flitwick left the hospital wing so they could have some privacy.

"Lucky the ground was so soft," Ron said.

"I thought he was dead for sure," Angelina said.

"But he didn't even break his glasses," Katie said, pointing to the table where Harry's glasses were sitting.

"That was the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life," Alicia commented.

Suddenly Harry's eyes popped open.

"Harry!" Fred gasped. "How're you feeling?" Harry laid in his bed for a moment, thinking hard, before launching up into a sitting position.

"What happened?" he asked intensely.

"You fell off," Fred answered. "Must've been—what—fifty feet?"

"We thought you'd died," Alicia said anxiously.

"But the match," Harry said. "What happened? Are we doing a replay?" Nobody knew what to tell him, and Harry came to the correct conclusion, his eyes wide. "We didn't—_lose_?" he asked, sounding horrified.

"Diggory got the Snitch," George explained. "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square…even Wood admits it."

"Where is Wood?" Harry asked, his eyes sweeping across the small crowd of people around his bed.

"Still in the showers," Fred replied. "We think he's trying to drown himself." Harry pulled his knees up to his chest, put his face on his knees, and grabbed his hair with his hands.

"C'mon, Harry, you've never missed the Snitch before," Fred said, trying to console the Seeker.

"There had to be one time you didn't get it," George reasoned.

"It's not over yet," Fred added. "We lost by a hundred points, right? So if Hufflepuff loses to Ravenclaw, and we beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin…"

"Hufflepuff'll have to lose by at least two hundred points," George argued.

"But if they beat Ravenclaw…"

"No way, Ravenclaw is too good. But if Slytherin loses against Hufflepuff…"

"It all depends on the points—a margin of a hundred either way…"

"Boys, enough," Liza said, looking in concern at Harry. Madam Pomfrey came over and shooed the rest of the Gryffindor team out of the hospital wing, telling them Harry needed some peace and quiet.

"We'll come and see you later," Fred said to Harry. "Don't beat yourself up, Harry, you're still the best Seeker we've ever had." He and the rest of the team left the hospital wing.

"Dumbledore was really angry," Hermione started. She explained to Harry how Dumbledore had saved him and sent the dementors away.

"Did somebody get my Nimbus?" Harry asked them. The four third years exchanged looks with each other.

"Er…" Ron trailed off, not knowing what to say to his friend.

"What?" Harry pressed.

"Well…when you fell off, it got blown away," Hermione said.

"And?" Harry prompted.

"And it hit…" Hermione stammered. "It hit… Oh, Harry…"

"It hit the Whomping Willow," John finished for her. Harry closed his eyes.

"And?" he asked again.

"Well, you know the Whomping Willow," Ron said. "It—it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," Liza said gently, leaning down to pick up the bag. She turned it over, and out poured the splinters of what was once Harry's broomstick.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: Same deal as the last update: I haven't started the next chapter yet, so it may or may not be posted tomorrow night. If it is, yay! If not, I'm sorry. But it'll get up eventually!**_


	8. Chapter 8 The Ugly Truths

_**A/N: This chapter is called what it is for a very good reason. Hold onto your butts.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 8 – The Ugly Truths**

The next day, Liza, Ron, and Hermione visited Harry in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey insisted on keeping him there through the weekend. Harry didn't seem too upset about it.

"Here, Harry," Ron said, holding out the bag of candy they had brought Harry from Honeydukes. "We thought maybe some of this would cheer you up a bt."

"Thanks," Harry said, taking the bag. He opened it, fished out some chocolate frogs, and handed each of his friends one.

"Thank you, Harry," Liza said as she accepted hers. They all opened them and compared the famous wizard cards inside.

"So, how are you feeling?" Hermione asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Harry answered. "Dumbledore slowing my fall and the soft ground really saved me from breaking anything. Madam Pomfrey says that I had bruises all up my back, but as long as I keep taking these couple of potions," he paused to point at the two goblets on his bedside table, "I should be back to one hundred percent by tomorrow morning."

"I can't believe the dementors came onto the Quidditch pitch like that," Liza said, shaking her head. "I thought they were supposed to be defending the entrances to the grounds."

"I wish I knew how to get rid of them," Harry said. "You know, like Professor Lupin and Professor Dumbledore did." Liza sprang up from her chair.

"I have an idea," she said. "I'll be back in a bit." Then she hurried from the hospital wing and ran down to Professor Lupin's office. She knocked on the door, hoping that he was feeling better.

"Come in," a voice said from the other side of the door. Liza pushed the door open and found Professor Lupin sitting at his desk, looking pale and tired.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Liza said immediately. "I can leave if you're not feeling very well."

"Nonsense, I can spare a few minutes," Lupin replied. "I'm feeling better. Is there anything in particular that you need help with?" He waved Liza forward into the office, and Liza entered and sat opposite the professor.

"Did you hear what happened at the Quidditch match yesterday?" Liza asked.

"Ah, yes," Lupin said. "Is Harry feeling okay?"

"Yeah, Madam Pomfrey says he'll be good to go by tomorrow morning," Liza answered. "But what I came to ask you is if you could help him with the problems he's been having with the dementors." Professor Lupin looked up at her but didn't say anything, so Liza continued, "I mean, you're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and you were able to get the dementor on the train to go away." A small smile grew on Lupin's face.

"Sometimes you are so like your mother," Lupin said quietly. Liza felt her mouth fall open.

"My mother?" she asked. "You—you knew my mother?" Lupin looked immediately guilty.

"Er—well…" Lupin stammered.

"That's how you knew my name on the train," Liza said. "That's why you almost called me Elizabeth even after I told you to call me Liza. You knew my mother, my _real_ mother."

"Liza, I'm very sorry, but it's not my place to tell you about these things," Lupin said.

"But I've wanted to know who my real parents are my whole life," Liza said. "I want to know where I come from, and I want to know if I have any family left! You can't expect me to just leave this alone now that I know you knew my mother." Lupin took a breath before looking up at Liza.

"Follow me," he said simply, getting up from his desk. He held the office door open, and Liza hesitantly followed him out. Lupin led her in silence through the castle until they reached a stone gargoyle. He gave a password to it, and the gargoyle sprang aside. Behind the statue was a moving staircase.

"Where are we going?" Liza asked. Professor Lupin stepped onto the staircase, beckoning Liza to follow. When they reached the top, Lupin knocked on the door.

"Enter," a voice called from inside. Lupin opened the door and ushered Liza inside.

"Good morning, Professor, Miss Jones." Professor Dumbledore was seated at a desk in the circular room. Liza looked around, realizing that she must be in Professor Dumbledore's office. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Lupin looked at Liza.

"Well, uh…" she started, not knowing what to say. "Professor Lupin says that he knew my real mother, but he can't tell me anything else."

"I see," Professor Dumbledore said. "I suppose there's only one thing to be done. But you have to understand, you cannot tell anyone about this."

"How can I promise something like that?" Liza asked.

"When I tell you, you'll understand," Dumbledore replied.

"Are you sure telling her is a good idea?" Lupin cut in.

"She's not going to stop asking if we refuse to tell her," Dumbledore said. "She deserves to know as long as she knows how important it is that she keeps it to herself." He looked over at Liza over the top of his glasses. "For the safety of you and any others involved, you have to keep this information to yourself."

"All right," Liza said, nodding. "Okay, I promise."

"Miss Jones, you were born Elizabeth Lillian Potter," Dumbledore said, "to parents James and Lily Potter."

Liza was stunned. Her parents—her real birth parents—were James and Lily Potter. That meant…

"But if they're my parents…" she said, struggling for words. "Does that mean Harry's my—my brother?"

"Your twin brother," Dumbledore confirmed, nodding.

"No. That can't be right," Liza said. "Harry's an only child. Anything I've ever read about what happened between him and You-Know-Who always said he was an only child."

"James and Lily went into hiding when they found out that Voldemort was hunting them," Dumbledore explained. Liza cringed at the use of the name. "When Lily gave birth, only their closest friends knew that she had had twins. One of those friends is Professor Lupin here." Liza looked over at Lupin, who nodded. "Since the Potters knew that Voldemort would be hunting them and their one child down, they contacted me and asked if I could find a family to adopt you, to save you in case Voldemort found them. So I found the Joneses, and they were willing to adopt you."

"I took you over to America myself," Lupin added. Liza took a minute to try and calm her overwhelming thoughts.

"So it's true?" she asked, looking between the Headmaster and the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Yes, it's true," Dumbledore replied.

"How am I going to keep this from Harry?" Liza asked, sinking into one of the chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. "Why do I have to keep this from Harry? You-Know-Who has disappeared, how much danger can he be in?"

"Just trust me on this, please," Dumbledore said. Liza was at a loss for words, and Dumbledore continued, "I know it's a lot to ask of you, but it's to protect him, and it's also to protect you." Liza nodded slowly.

"I suppose we should get out of your hair," Professor Lupin spoke up. "I'm sure you've got other things to do. Liza?" Liza stood up and walked slowly to the office door.

"Oh, and Liza?" Dumbledore called, and Liza looked back at him. "Keep an eye on Harry, would you? Make sure he stays safe."

**~LJ:WF~**

After Lupin and Liza had left Dumbledore's office, Liza went back to Gryffindor tower the long way. She could hardly believe what Dumbledore had told her. It did seem to explain all the similarities between her and Harry and the fact that they shared a birthday.

She didn't know how she was going to keep this a secret. She spent so much time with Harry, it was bound to slip out sometime.

Liza stopped in the middle of an empty corridor.

"My parents are Lily and James Potter," she said out loud. It was so weird. She had wanted to find out who her real parents were for her whole life, and now that she knew…she wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't even tell her best friends about finding out.

Then Liza heard footsteps in the stairway nearby. The Gryffindor Quidditch team rounded the corner and walked down the hall towards her.

"Liza!" George said, waving. "There you are. We were just visiting Harry. Have you seen him today?"

"Uh…" Liza said. "Yeah. I was up there with Ron and Hermione but I needed to go visit Professor Lupin. I was just on my way back to the common room."

"That's where we're headed," George said, grinning.

"George, come on," Fred called from up ahead. "Or are you too scared that I'm going to kick your arse in Exploding Snap?"

"Fancy teaming up to beat my brother at Exploding Snap?" George asked. Liza took a breath and was about to decline when she realized that the only way she'd be able to keep her secret was to act normal.

"Yeah, sure," she said. She and George caught up to Fred and the three of them went back to the common room to play some Exploding Snap.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next day, Harry was let out from the hospital wing. He was with Ron that morning, waiting for Hermione and Liza so they could all go to breakfast together. After breakfast, they headed to their first class of the day: Potions. Malfoy and his cronies were overly gleeful about Gryffindor's defeat.

"I'm so glad my arm is fully healed," Malfoy said loudly, holding up his arm that he'd finally taken the bandages off of. "There was no way I could have flown a few days ago with it still injured." He paused then continued, "Hey, Potter! Remember when the dementors were on the field?" He pulled the hood of his robes over his head and did a dementor imitation.

Ron picked up his crocodile heart and threw it at Malfoy's face. It hit its target, and Malfoy glared across the dungeon. Unfortunately, Snape also saw what had happened, and he took fifty points from Gryffindor.

After lunch, they walked up to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Ron was still annoyed with what had happened that morning.

"If Snape's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I'm skiving of," he grumbled.

"I think Lupin will be here," Liza replied. "I saw him yesterday. He didn't look very well, but he said he was feeling better." They reached the door to the classroom.

"Check who's in there, Hermione," Ron suggested. Hermione opened the door and took a look inside.

"It's okay!" she announce. She led the way into the classroom and they took their usual spots. Professor Lupin looked up and smiled at the class as they sat down.

"Professor Lupin?" Ron asked before class began. "When Professor Snape was here, he assigned us an essay on werewolves. He wants two rolls of parchment turned into him. Do we really have to do it?"

"It's not fair," Dean piped up, "he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?"

"We don't know anything about werewolves…" Parvati chimed in.

"Two rolls of parchment!" Seamus exclaimed.

"Did you tell Professor Snape we haven't covered them yet?" Lupin asked.

"Yes, but he said we were really behind…" Parvati answered.

"He wouldn't listen!" Harry said.

"_Two rolls of parchment_!" Seamus repeated.

"Don't worry," Lupin said, smiling slightly. "I'll speak to Professor Snape. You don't have to do the essay."

"Oh, _no_," Hermione groaned. "I've already finished it!"

"We'll be starting hinkypunks today," Lupin began, gesturing to a glass box that was sitting on his desk. Inside was a little creature that looked as though it was made of smoke and holding a lantern. "Lures travelers into bogs. You notice the lantern dangling from his hand? Hops ahead—people follow the light—then…" The hinkypunk made a screeching noise, pressing up against the glass.

When the class was finished, Lupin called "Wait a moment, Harry. I'd like a word." Liza whipped around to stare at the teacher, but he just nodded at her.

"Liza, come on," Ron said, and Liza followed him and Hermione out. The three of them waited for Harry, and it was only a few minutes before he joined them.

"What was that all about?" Liza asked immediately.

"Nothing," Harry said. "He was just asking if I was doing all right after the Quidditch match. He's promised to help me learn how to protect myself from the dementors."

"That's great, Harry," Hermione commented, smiling.

"We won't be able to start until next term, but it'll be better than nothing," Harry said. He looked a bit more cheerful than he had in the past few days.

"Let's get going," Ron said, looking at his watch. "We don't want to be late for class."

**~LJ:WF~**

November turned into December, and the weather continued to get colder. At the end of November, Ravenclaw beat Hufflepuff by a landslide in Quidditch, something that the Gryffindor team was very happy about. Harry was gone so often at Quidditch practice that Liza, Ron, and Hermione hardly saw him until late evening every day.

A few weeks before the end of the term, Professor McGonagall went around asking for the names of those who would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Hermione, Ron, Harry, and Liza all signed up, looking forward to having the common room mostly to themselves.

Another notice went up on the board before the holidays started. There would be another Hogsmeade visit, on the last weekend of term before the Hogwarts Express left with those who would be returning home for Christmas.

"We can do all our Christmas shopping there!" Hermione said excitedly. "Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!"

When the day of the trip arrived, Hermione and Liza wrapped themselves up in many layers, and they made sure to wear their caps and scarves. It had begun lightly snowing the night before, and it seemed to have lasted all night. There was a light blanket of snow covering the grounds.

After breakfast, Liza, Ron, and Hermione said good bye to Harry and joined the line of students leaving the castle. When they had been cleared, they began the walk down the grounds. As they reached the Hogsmeade gate, it began snowing again.

They made their first stop in a trinket shop so Liza could find something for her parents. They didn't spend long there, as Ron started whining about wanting to go to Honeydukes.

"Okay, okay," Liza said, rolling her eyes. "We can go to Honeydukes." Ron gleefully led the way to the candy shop, Hermione and Liza following him closely.

Honeydukes was very full of Hogwarts students. Liza, Ron, and Hermione already had their arms full when they decided to find some candy to bring back for Harry.

"What about one of these?" Ron asked. Liza and Hermione took a closer look at the lollipops he was pointing at.

"Those are blood-flavored," Liza said, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Ugh, no," Hermione agreed, "Harry won't want one of those, they're for vampires, I expect." Ron picked up a jar from a shelf nearby and held them out to the girls.

"How about these?" he asked.

"Definitely not," a voice from behind them said. The three of them turned around quickly and found Harry standing there, grinning.

"_Harry_!" Hermione gasped. "What are you doing here? How—how did you…?"

"Wow!" Ron exclaimed. "You've learned to Apparate!"

"'Course I haven't," Harry replied. He lowered his voice and told them about how Fred and George had given him a map of Hogwarts. He pulled it out so they could look at it.

"The Marauder's Map?" Liza asked, taking it from him. "But this is just blank parchment."

"You need to activate it, so to speak," Harry explained. "I don't want to do it in here, though. I'll show you guys some other time." Liza handed it back to him, frowning slightly.

"How come Fred and George never gave it to _me_?" Ron complained. "I'm their brother!"

"But Harry isn't going to keep it!" Hermione insisted. "He's going to hand it in to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"

"No, I'm not!" Harry replied, looking appalled that Hermione would ever suggest such a thing.

"Are you mad?" Ron asked. "Hand in something that good?"

"If I hand it in, I'll have to say where I got it!" Harry said. "Filch would know Fred and George had nicked it!"

"They've got a point, Hermione," Liza said.

"But what about Sirius Black?" Hermione asked. "He could be using one of the passages on that map to get into the castle! The teachers have got to know!"

"He can't be getting in through a passage," Harry said. "There are seven secret tunnels on the map, right? Fred and George reckon Filch already knows about four of them. And of the other three—one of them's caved in, so no one can get through it. One of them's got the Whomping Willow planted over the entrance, so you can't get out of it. And the one I just came through—well—it's really hard to see the entrance to it down in the cellar, so unless he knew it was there…" Harry trailed off, his brow furrowed in thought. Ron took this silence to point at a notice that was on the door, stating that dementors would be patrolling the streets of Hogsmeade at night until Black was caught.

"See?" Ron said. "I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with dementors swarming all over the village. Anyway, Hermione, the Honeydukes owners would hear a break-in, wouldn't they? The live over the shop!"

"Yes, but—but…" Hermione stammered. She took and breath and continued, "Look, Harry shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble! And it's not nightfall yet—what if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"

"He'd have a job spotting Harry in this," Ron replied, gesturing to the swirling snow outside. "Come on, Hermione, it's Christmas. Harry deserves a break."

"Are you going to report me?" Harry asked, smirking.

"Oh—of course not," Hermione replied. "But honestly, Harry…"

"Hermione's right, Harry, you need to be more careful," Liza advised.

"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry?" Ron asked, pulling Harry away to look around Honeydukes. "And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven—it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember Mum walloping him with her broomstick. Reckon Fred'd take a bit of Cockroach Cluster if I told him they were peanuts?"

"Not on your life," Liza answered, chuckling.

When they had finished their shopping, Ron, Hermione, and Liza paid for their candy, and the four of them headed out into the snowstorm. As they walked, Ron and Hermione pointed out the different shops to Harry, shouting over the howling wind.

"Tell you what," Liza spoke up at last, "shall we go for butterbeer in The Three Broomsticks?" The other three agreed immediately, and they hurried up the street to the pub.

It was crowded inside, full of both residents of the village and Hogwarts students.

"That's Madam Rosmerta," Ron said, pointing to the bar maid. "I'll get the drinks, shall I?" He blushed slightly.

"Ron _fancies_ her," Liza explained in a stage whisper, which caused Ron to go even more red and hiss, "I don't!" He went up to the bar to order while Harry, Hermione, and Liza found an empty table in the back of the room.

A few minutes later, Ron returned, carrying four mugs of butterbeer and saying, "Merry Christmas!" The four of them touched mugs together and then took a drink. Liza moaned in satisfaction as the butterbeer filled her with warmth. She heard the door of the pub open, and Harry choked on his butterbeer. Liza looked around to see Professors McGonagall and Flitwick entering the bar, followed by Hagrid and the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge himself.

Ron and Hermione instantly shoved Harry down under the table. Then Hermione took her wand out and whispered, "_Mobliarbus_!" The Christmas tree by their table rose up a few inches, and Hermione directed it in front of their table, shielding them from view. Liza, Ron, and Hermione kept their heads bent over their butterbeers as the professors and Minister sat at a table near them. Madam Rosmerta came over to dole out their drinks.

"A small gillywater…" she said.

"Mine," Professor McGonagall said.

"Four pints of mulled mead…"

"Ta, Rosmerta," Hagrid said.

"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella…"

"Mmm!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.

"So you'll be the red currant rum, Minister," Madam Rosmerta finished, setting the last drink in front of the Minister.

"Thank you, Rosmerta, my dear," Fudge said. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, won't you? Come and join us…" Liza exchanged a disturbed look with Hermione at the Minister's flirting.

"Well, thank you very much, Minister," Madam Rosmerta said before gliding away. A few minutes later, she came back and sat with the table of adults.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" she asked interestedly.

"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black?" Fudge sighed quietly. "I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Hallowen?"

"I did hear a rumor," Madam Rosmerta confirmed.

"Did you tell the whole pub, Hagrid?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" Madam Rosmerta inquired anxiously.

"I'm sure of it," Fudge replied.

"You know that the dementors have searched the whole village twice?" Madam Rosmerta said. "Scared all my customers away… It's very bad for business, Minister."

"Rosmerta, m'dear, I don't like them any more than you do," Fudge was quick to reassure her. "Necessary precaution…unfortunate, but there you are… I've just met some of them. They're in a fury against Dumbledore—he won't let them inside the grounds."

"I should think not!" Professor McGonagall insisted. "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors flying around?"

"Hear, hear!" Professor Flitwick added.

"All the same, they're here to protect you all from something much worse…" Fudge said somberly. "We all know what Black's capable of…"

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," Madam Rosmerta mused. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought… I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," Fudge replied darkly. "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst?" Madam Rosmerta repeated. "Worse than murdering all those poor people, you mean?"

"I certainly do," Fudge said.

"I can't believe that," Madam Rosmerta said. "What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," Professor McGonagall said. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," Madam Rosmerta chuckled. "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times I had them in here—ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter." Liza's mouth fell open, and she heard a thud from under their table.

"Precisely," Professor McGonagall answered. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course—exceptionally bright, in fact—but I don't think we've ever had such a pair of troublemakers…"

"I dunno," Hagrid cut in. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" Professor Flitwick agreed. "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," Fudge said. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment him."

"Oh, no," Liza breathed.

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Madam Rosmerta said in a hushed voice.

"Worse even than that, m'dear…" Fudge said. "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" Madam Rosmerta asked.

"An immensely complex spell," Professor Flitwick explained, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find—unless, of course, the Secret-Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret-Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper?" Madam Rosmerta guessed.

"Naturally," Professor McGonagall replied, nodding. "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself…and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potter's Secret-Keeper himself."

"He suspected Black?" Madam Rosmerta asked.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," Professor McGonagall explained. "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?" Madam Rosmerta pressed.

"He did," Fudge answered. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed…"

"Black betrayed them?" Madam Rosmerta cut in.

"He did indeed," Fudge replied. "Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colors as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it…"

Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid cried. Many of the occupants of the bar quieted and turned to look at him.

"Shh!" Professor McGonagall hushed him.

"I met him!" Hagrid continued in a quieter voice. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead…an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!"

"Hagrid, please!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "Keep your voice down!"

"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily an' James?" Hagrid said. "It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! An' then he says, 'Give Harry ter me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, I'll look after him…' Ha! But I'd had me orders from Dumbledore, an' I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his aunt an' uncle's. Black argued, but in the end he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike ter get Harry there. 'I won't need it anymore,' he says."

Hagrid took a deep, shuddering breath and continued, "I shoulda known there was somethin' fishy goin' on then. He loved that motorbike, what was he givin' it ter me for? Why wouldn' he need it anymore? Fact was, it was too easy ter trace. Dumbledore knew he'd bin the Potters' Secret-Keeper. Black knew he was goin' ter have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter o' hours before the Ministry was after him. _But what if I'd given Harry to him, eh_? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His bes' friends' son! But when a wizard goes over ter the Dark Side, there's nothin' and no one that matters to 'em anymore…"

After a long pause, Madam Rosmerta spoke up, "But he didn't manage to disappear, did he? The Ministry of Magic caught up with him the next day!"

"Alas, if only we had," Fudge replied heavily. "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew—another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew…" Madam Rosmerta said, thinking hard. "That little fat boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?"

"Hero-worshiped Black and Potter," Professor McGonagall confirmed. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how I—how I regret that now…"

"There, now, Minerva," Fudge said comfortingly, "Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses—Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later—told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens…"

"Stupid boy…foolish boy…" Professor McGonagall said sorrowfully. "He was always hopeless at dueling…should have left it to the Ministry…"

"I tell yeh, if I'd got ter Black before little Pettigrew did," Hagrid said angrily, "I wouldn't've messed around with wands—I'd've ripped him limb—from—limb."

"You don't know what you're talking about, Hagrid," Fudge said. "Nobody but trained Hit Wizards from the Magical Law Enforcement Squad would have stood a chance against Black once he was cornered. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time, and I was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I—I will never forget it. I still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there laughing, with what was left of Pettigrew in front of him…a heap of bloodstained robes and a few—a few fragments…" Fudge had to stop and recompose himself. "Well, there you have it, Rosmerta. Black was taken away by twenty members of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad and Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin, First Class, which I think was some comfort to his poor mother. Black's been in Azkaban ever since."

"Is it true he's mad, Minister?" Madam Rosmerta asked.

"I wish I could say that he was," Fudge replied. "I certainly believe that his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. The murder of Pettigrew and all those Muggles was the action of a corner and desperate man—cruel…pointless. Yet I met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most of the prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark; there's no sense in them…but I was shocked at how _normal_ Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving. You'd have thought he was merely bored—asked if I'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, I was astounded at how little effect the dementors seemed to be having on him—and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" Madam Rosmerta asked. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"I daresay that is his—er—eventual plan," Fudge answered. "But we hope to catch Black long before that. I must say, You-Know-Who alone and friendless is one thing…but give him his most devoted servant, and I shudder to think how quickly he'll rise again…" There was a moment of silence.

"You know, Cornelius, if you're dining with the headmaster, we'd better head back up to the castle," Professor McGonagall spoke up. She, Flitwick, Hagrid, and Fudge stood and said their goodbyes to Madam Rosmerta before exiting the pub again.

Liza saw Ron and Hermione lean down to look at Harry under the table, but she couldn't follow suit. She stared at the table in front of her, not knowing what to think. The past few days had been a rollercoaster of new information to her. She almost wished that she hadn't found out who her real parents were.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: Liza finding out who her parents are may have been a bit abrupt, but like Dumbledore said, she wouldn't have stopped asking until they told her. Also, I felt like I needed to put the entire conversation between Fudge, McGonagall, Hagrid, Flitwick, and Rosmerta in. I didn't know how to skip over it gracefully, so it's in there.**_


	9. Chapter 9 Christmastime

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 9 – Christmastime**

Ron, Hermione, and Liza escorted Harry back to Honeydukes, to be sure that nobody saw him sneak into the cellar. Once he was gone, Hermione turned to Ron and Liza, looking fearful.

"Do you think he'll be all right?" she asked. Ron shrugged, and Liza couldn't think of anything to say, her mind still reeling.

"It's a shock, yeah, but I'm sure he'll be okay," Ron replied. "They'll catch Black again and throw him back into Azkaban, and Harry will be safe."

"Liza?" Hermione asked, nudging Liza's arm. "Are you okay? You don't look very well."

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine," Liza answered. She shook her head a little and added, "I'm just a little shocked."

The three Gryffindors walked up the snowy path back to the castle, not trying to talk over the howling wind. When they reached the castle, they went up to the Gryffindor common room to leave their winter things in their dormitories. Harry showed up not long after, and the four of them went to dinner together.

All throughout dinner, Ron and Hermione seemed very insistent on keeping the conversation away from Sirius Black. Harry and Liza both didn't say very much, as they were both thinking about what they'd overheard. Liza had no idea how she was supposed to keep this secret now, after everything they'd heard.

After dinner, back in the common room, Fred and George let off some Dungbombs to celebrate the end of the term. Harry disappeared up to the dormitories, but Hermione, Ron, and Liza sat with the Weasley twins. Ron and Hermione started a game of chess; Hermione was determined to beat Ron someday. Liza sat with the twins, challenging them to eat different Bertie Botts beans.

Ron beat Hermione in chess quite easily, putting Hermione in a frustrated mood.

"I'm going to check on Harry," Ron said, getting up. He disappeared up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"So, did Harry get to Hogsmeade today?" Fred asked as Liza handed George a brown jelly bean.

"Yeah, he did," Liza answered.

"I can't believe you two gave him that map," Hermione said, frowning. "Harry's not supposed to visit Hogsmeade without a signed form."

"Lighten up, Hermione," Fred said. George took a nibble on the brown bean and gagged quietly. Liza laughed at him. "We just wanted him to have some fun before the holidays began."

"Hermione's right," Liza said. "He needs to be more careful. If a teacher saw him, he could have gotten into a lot of trouble."

"But look on the bright side," George said. "He wasn't seen by any teachers." Liza rolled her eyes at him. Ron rejoined them, descending from the boys' staircase.

"He was in bed with the curtains pulled," he reported. "I think he's gone to sleep."

A little while later, Fred and George joined a group of their friends, leaving Ron, Hermione, and Liza alone in front of the fireplace.

"I'm worried about Harry," Hermione said. "What if he wants to try and find Black on his own?"

"Would Harry really do that?" Ron asked doubtfully. "I know that Black betrayed his parents, but he has to know that a thirteen year old wizard-in-training is no match for that lunatic. He blew up a whole street of people! What would Harry expect to do to him?"

"If he's thinking about revenge, it's going to cloud his judgment," Liza said quietly. "And how can you blame him? If Black hadn't given away their location, his parents might still be alive." _My parents might still be alive_, she thought to herself.

"Well, if Harry's thinking about revenge, we need to talk him out of it," Ron insisted. "We can't let him run off and get himself killed." Hermione nodded, and the two of them looked to Liza.

"We can try," Liza agreed.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next morning, Liza and Hermione met Ron in the common room.

"Harry's fast asleep upstairs," he said. "Hopefully after some rest he'll feel better about yesterday."

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast," Liza said. The three went down and had breakfast. Harry never came down to join them. After breakfast, those who were going home for the holidays were shepherded out of the castle to get onto the Hogwarts Express. Suddenly the castle seemed nearly empty.

Ron checked on Harry when the three of them returned to the common room, but Harry was still asleep. Hermione immediately set to work on homework, and Liza decided to do the same. If she got her homework done now, she wouldn't have to worry about doing it the night before term started up again. Ron, on the other hand, decided to spend the rest of the morning eating his candy from Honeydukes.

Just before lunch, they heard the sound of footsteps on the dormitory stairs. They all turned to see Harry emerging from the boys' staircase.

"Harry," Hermione breathed in relief. "You—you look terrible."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry replied, smirking. "Where is everyone?"

"Gone!" Liza answered. "It's the first day of the holidays, remember?"

"It's nearly lunchtime," Ron added. "I was going to come and wake you up in a minute." Harry dropped into a seat in front of the fire.

"You really don't look well, you know," Hermione commented again.

"I'm fine," Harry said firmly.

"Harry, listen," Hermione started, "you must be really upset about what we heard yesterday. But the thing is, you mustn't go doing anything stupid."

"Like what?" Harry asked.

"Like trying to go after Black," Ron answered bluntly.

"You won't, will you, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking concerned.

"Because Black's not worth dying for," Ron added.

"D'you know what I see and hear every time a dementor gets too near me?" Harry asked. "I can hear my mum screaming and pleading with Voldemort. And if you heard your mum screaming like that, just about to be killed, you wouldn't forget it in a hurry. And if you found out someone who was supposed to be a friend of hers betrayed her and sent Voldemort after her…" Liza closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to hear about how her mother died.

"There's nothing you can do!" Hermione said hurriedly. "The dementors will catch Black and he'll go back to Azkaban and—and serve him right!"

"You heard what Fudge said," Harry argued. "Black isn't affected by Azkaban like normal people are. It's not a punishment for him like it is for the others."

"So what are you saying?" Ron asked. "You want to—to kill Black or something?"

"Don't be silly," Hermione said, her voice a bit higher than usual. "Harry doesn't want to kill anyone, do you, Harry?" Harry didn't respond for a few seconds.

"Malfoy knows," he said suddenly. "Remember what he said to me in Potions? 'If it was me, I'd hunt him down myself… I'd want revenge.'"

"You're going to take Malfoy's advice instead of ours?" Ron said in disbelief. "Listen…you know what Pettigrew's mother got back after Black had finished with him? Dad told me—the Order of Merlin, First Class, and Pettigrew's finger in a box. That was the biggest bit of him they could find. Black's a madman, Harry, and he's dangerous…"

"Malfoy's dad must have told him," Harry muttered to himself. "He was right in Voldemort's inner circle…"

"_Say You-Know-Who, will you_?" Ron hissed.

"…so obviously, the Malfoys knew Black was working for Voldemort…" Harry continued.

"…And Malfoy'd love to see you blown into about a million pieces, like Pettigrew!" Ron insisted. "Get a grip. Malfoy's just hoping you'll get yourself killed before he has to play you in Quidditch."

"Harry, _please_," Hermione said, "_please_ be sensible. Black did a terrible, terrible thing, but d-don't put yourself in danger, it's what Black wants… Oh, Harry, you'd be playing right into Black's hands if you went looking for him. Your mum and dad wouldn't want you to get hurt, would they? They'd never want you to go looking for Black!"

"I'll never know what they'd have wanted, because thanks to Black, I've never spoken to them," Harry said coldly.

"_Shut up_!" Liza screamed, jumping up. She had promised Dumbledore to keep an eye on Harry, to try and keep him safe, and she couldn't stand listening to him saying these things. "Just _shut up_, Harry! Getting revenge on Black won't bring your parents back to life, and it'll probably just get you killed in the process. We might not understand what you're going through, but you're not understanding that Sirius Black is a fully grown man who could kill you in two seconds flat while you stood there trying to disarm him! _Get that through your head! If you hunt down Sirius Black, you will be killed_!" Harry stared at her, and Hermione and Ron both looked hopeful that Liza's speech would be enough.

After a while of nobody saying anything, Ron said, "Look, it's the holidays! It's Christmas! Let's—let's go down and see Hagrid. We haven't visited him in ages!"

"No!" Hermione disagreed. "Harry isn't suppose to leave the castle, Ron…"

"Yeah, let's go," Harry said, "and I can ask him how come he never mentioned Black when he told me all about my parents!"

"Obviously he was trying to protect you, Harry," Liza said, glaring at him.

"We could have a game of chess," Ron said, desperately trying to change the subject, "or Gobstones, Percy left a set…"

"No, let's visit Hagrid," Harry insisted. The others reluctantly agreed to join him, and they gathered their winter clothes and set off through the castle. Unfortunately, they had thought their plan entirely through, because the grounds were covered in snow, and there was no path to Hagrid's hut. They plodded through the snow, their feet freezing after only a few steps.

When they reached Hagrid's, Ron knocked on the door. They waited for a few moments, but there was no answer.

"He's not out, is he?" Hermione asked, her teeth chattering. Ron put his ear up to the door, frowning in confusion.

"There's a weird noise," he said after a minute. "Listen—is that Fang?" Harry put his ear up to the door, as well. "Think we'd better go and get someone?" Ron asked. Harry raised his fist and banged on the door.

"Hagrid!" he called. "Hagrid, are you in there?" They heard the sound of Hagrid's footsteps come towards the door, and then Hagrid opened it, his eyes bloodshot and wet.

"Yeh've heard?" he asked gruffly before throwing his arms around Harry and sobbing. Noticing that Hagrid's weight was about to crush Harry, Liza and Ron grabbed Hagrid by his arms and pushed him back into his hut. They guided him to one of the chairs at the dining table, and he fell into it, tears coursing down his face and beard.

"Hagrid, what _is_ it?" Hermione insisted, sounding alarmed.

"What's this, Hagrid?" Harry asked, pointing to a letter sitting on the table. Hagrid pushed the letter towards Harry, and Harry began to read it to the others.

_Dear Mr. Hagrid,_

_Further to our inquiry into the attack by a hippogriff on a student in your class, we have accepted the assurances of Professor Dumbledore that you bear no responsibility for the regrettable incident._

"Well, that's okay then, Hagrid!" Ron said, grinning. Hagrid, still crying, waved at Harry to finish reading the letter.

_However, we must register our concern about the hippogriff in question. We have decided to uphold the official complaint of Mr. Lucius Malfoy, and this matter will therefore be taken to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. The hearing will take place on April 20th, and we ask you to present yourself and your hippogriff at the Committee's offices in London on that date. In the meantime, the hippogriff should be tethered and isolated._

"That son of a…" Liza muttered darkly. "I can't believe they'd do anything for Lucius Malfoy after he gave Ginny that diary last year."

"But you said Buckbeak isn't a bad hippogriff, Hagrid," Ron said. "I bet he'll get off…"

"Yeh don' know them gargoyles at the Committee fer the Disposal o' Dangerous Creatures!" Hagrid wailed. "They've got it in fer interestin' creatures." A cracking noise came from the back of Hagrid's hut, and the four Gryffindor whirled around to find Buckbeak lying in the corner, eating something.

"I couldn' leave him tied up out there in the snow!" Hagrid cried. "All on his own! At Christmas."

"You'll have to put up a good strong defense, Hagrid," Hermione said. "I'm sure you can prove Buckbeak is safe."

"Won't make no diff'rence!" Hagrid said miserably. "Them Disposal devils, they're all in Lucius Malfoy's pocket! Scared o' him! An' if I lose the case, Buckbeak…" He took his finger and drew it across his throat. Then he put his head back onto the table and cried some more.

"What about Dumbledore, Hagrid?" Harry suggested.

"He's done more'n enough fer me already," Hagrid said. "Got enough on his plate what with keepin' them dementors outta the castle, an' Sitius Black lurkin' around…" Liza, Ron, and Hermione glanced at Harry, wondering if he would ask about Black now.

"Listen, Hagrid," Harry said, "you can't give up." Liza let out an internal sigh of relief. "Hermione's right, you just need a good defense."

"You can call us as witnesses!" Liza chimed in, nodding vigorously.

"I'm sure I've read about a case of hippogriff-baiting," Hermione added, "where the hippogriff got off. I'll look it up for you, Hagrid, and see exactly what happened." Hagrid sobbed harder, and Liza, Harry, and Hermione looked at Ron desperately.

"Er—shall I make a cup of tea?" Ron asked. The rest of them stared at him questioningly, and he added, "It's what my mum does whenever someone's upset."

"So British," Liza murmured with a small smile. Ron hurried to make the tea, while Harry, Hermione, and Liza continued to try and convince Hagrid that they would help him.

"Yer right," Hagrid finally said, sitting up. "I can' afford to go ter pieces. Gotta pull meself together… I've not bin meself lately. Worried abou' Buckbeak, an' no one likin' me classes…"

"We do like them!" Hermione said instantly.

"Yeah, they're great!" Ron added. "Er—how are the flobberworms?"

"Dead," Hagrid stated. "Too much lettuce."

"Oh, no!" Ron said, trying not to laugh.

"An' them dementors make me feel ruddy terrible an' all," Hagrid continue. "Gotta walk past 'em ev'ry time I want a drink in the Three Broomsticks. 'S like bein' back in Azkaban…" He stopped and took a deep drink of tea.

"Is it awful in there, Hagrid?" Hermione asked quietly after a few moments of silence.

"Yeh've no idea," Hagrid replied. "Never bin anywhere like it. Thought I was goin' mad. Kep' goin' over horrible stuff in me mind…the day I got expelled from Hogwarts…day me dad died…day I had ter let Norbert go… Yeh can' really remember who yeh are after a while. An' yeh can' see the point o' livin' at all. I used ter hop I'd jus' die in me sleep… When they let me out, it was like bein' born again, ev'rythin' came floodin' back, it was the bes' feelin' in the world. Mind, the dementors weren't keen on lettin' me go."

"But you were innocent!" Liza exclaimed.

"Think that matters to them?" Hagrid said. "They don' care. Long as they've got a couple o' hundred humans stuck there with 'em, so they can leech all the happiness out of 'em, they don' give a damn who's guilty an' who's not." Hagrid paused, looking at his tea cup, before continuing, "Thought o' jus' letting Buckbeak go…tryin' ter make him fly away…but how d'yeh explain ter a hippogriff it's gotta go inter hidin'? An'—an' I'm scared o' breakin' the law… I don' ever want ter go back ter Azkaban."

"I don't blame you," Liza said quietly, shuddering at the thought of being stuck in a place with dementors.

Soon the four bid Hagrid goodbye, and trooped back up to the castle. The next day, they went up to the library and checked out any books they thought would help Hagrid with his case for Buckbeak. Sitting in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room, they started reading, only speaking when they found something they thought could be helpful. Hermione took notes whenever they found something pertinent.

As the days crept closer to Christmas, the castle was decorated as magnificently as ever. There were only a handful of students to enjoy it, however.

Christmas morning dawned cold but bright, the sun glinting off the fresh snow. Liza and Hermione opened their presents eagerly. They both received hand-knit sweaters from Mrs. Weasley, and a lot of candy from each other and Ron.

After all their presents were opened, Hermione and Liza decided to go see if Ron and Harry were awake. Liza let Boots crawl onto her shoulders, and Hermione held Crookshanks in her arms, and the two girls started up the boys' staircase. When they pushed open the door to the boys' dormitory, Harry and Ron were laughing about something.

"What're you two laughing about?" Hermione asked as they crossed the threshold. Ron glared at Crookshanks in her arms.

"Don't bring him in here!" Ron rummaged around in his bed before pulling Scabbers out from under the sheets and stuffing him in his pajama pocket. Hermione ignored him, letting Crookshanks down onto the bed next to Ron's.

"_Harry_!" Liza exclaimed, looking at the package on Harry's bed. "Who sent you _that_?" A brand new broomstick was lying on the bed, and if Liza wasn't mistaken, it was the Firebolt that Harry had spent the end of the summer looking at in the Quidditch shop.

"No idea," Harry replied. "There wasn't a card or anything with it." Liza exchanged a glance with Hermione, both of them frowning.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione.

"I don't know," Hermione started, "but it's a bit odd, isn't it? I mean, this is supposed to be quite a good broom, right?"

"It's the best broom there is, Hermione," Ron said, sounding almost patronizing.

"So it must've been really expensive…" Hermione trailed off.

"Probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together," Ron said in a satisfactory tone.

"Well…who'd send Harry something as expensive as that, and not even tell him they sent it?" Hermione asked.

"Who cares?" Ron asked. "Listen, Harry, can I have a go on it? Can I?"

"I don't think anyone should ride that broom just yet!" Hermione insisted.

"What d'you think Harry's going to do with it—sweep the floor?" Ron shot back.

Suddenly Crookshanks leapt at Ron from the next bed.

"GET—HIM—OUT—OF—HERE!" Ron screamed angrily as Crookshanks tore at Ron's pajamas. Scabbers jumped out of Ron's pocket and tried to make a break for it, but Ron hopped up and snagged him by the tail. Then Ron attempted to kick Crookshanks away, but he missed and ended up knocking Harry's trunk over. A shrill sound overcame the room, causing Boots to hiss from Liza's shoulders. Crookshanks backed away from the source of the noise. Harry's Sneakoscope had rolled out of the trunk and the socks it was been wrapped in and was spinning wildly on the floor.

"I forgot about that!" Harry exclaimed. "I never wear those socks if I can help it…"

"You'd better get that cat out of here, Hermione," Ron scowled. Hermione scooped up Crookshanks and stalked from the room, Liza following her closely. When the girls reached the common room, Hermione turned to Liza.

"Who do you think sent Harry that broom?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Liza admitted. "I didn't, you didn't, Ron didn't… Harry's aunt and uncle surely didn't. Hagrid didn't, none of the teachers did… Maybe some distant relative?"

"I think that Sirius Black may have sent Harry that broom," Hermione said. "It would be the perfect way to get at Harry and possibly put him in danger. Anyone else would have at least left a note."

"What should we do?" Liza asked. "If Sirius Black did send it, then it needs to be looked at."

"I think we should go to Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied. "This afternoon, after Christmas dinner."

"You don't think that Harry would be upset with us if we have Professor McGonagall take it from him?" Liza asked uncertainly.

"He might be, but we're just trying to take precautions," Hermione answered. Liza nodded.

"You're right," she said. "We'll talk to McGonagall this afternoon."

"In the meantime, I think I'm going to put Crookshanks in our dormitory," Hermione said, going to the girls' stairs again. "I don't want to give Ron any more reasons to try and kick him." Liza followed Hermione up the stairs, and they both left their cats in the dormitory. They also gathered up some homework to work on before Christmas dinner.

Down in the common room, Harry had brought his Firebolt downstairs, and Harry and Ron continued to admire it. Liza and Hermione quietly did their homework in front of the fire.

Around lunch time, they trooped down to the Great Hall to celebrate Christmas with whoever was left in the castle. When they entered the Hall, they were surprised to find that the four House tables had been pushed up against the walls. There was one table, currently set for twelve, sitting at the front of the room. Sitting around the table were Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout, Snape, and Flitwick. There were also two small Hufflepuff first years, looking intimidated to be dining so close to their teachers.

"Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore greeted the Gryffindors as they joined the small group. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Sit down, sit down!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza all took seats at the end of the table.

"Crackers!" Dumbledore exclaimed, holding out the end of one to Snape. Snape took hold and pulled, and a witch's hat with a stuffed vulture atop it came springing from the inside. Harry, Ron, and Liza grinned, remembering Neville's boggart, and Snape instantly pushed the hat to Dumbledore. Dumbledore gladly put it on his head in place of his own hat.

"Dig in!" Dumbledore announced. Everyone began to fill their plates when the Great Hall doors opened again.

"Sibyll, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore said, standing to greet the woman who had entered.

"That's Professor Trelawney," Hermione breathed in Liza's ear, and Liza nodded her understanding.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," Professor Trelawney said, "and to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," Dumbledore replied merrily. "Let me draw you up a chair…" He waved his wand a conjured a chair in between Snape and Professor McGonagall. Professor Trelawney seemed to hesitate, looking fearful.

"I dare not, Headmaster!" she exclaimed. "If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

"We'll risk it, Sibyll," Professor McGonagall said shortly. "Do sit down, the turkey' s getting stone cold." Professor Trelawney sat gingerly in the chair, as though she thought as soon as she had settled, something terrible would happened. Professor McGonagall, however, said, "Tripe, Sibyll?" Professor Trelawney did not answer; she merely took a look around the table again.

"But where is dear Professor Lupin?" she asked.

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," Professor Dumbledore explain. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you already knew that, Sibyll?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Certainly I knew, Minerva," Professor Trelawney answered airily. "But one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as not to make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," Professor McGonagall muttered before taking a few gulps from her goblet.

"If you must know, Minerva," Professor Trelawney continued, losing her cool slightly, "I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him…"

"Imagine that," Professor McGonagall said.

"I doubt," Professor Dumbledore spoke up, putting an end to Professor Trelawney and Professor McGonagall's conversation, "that Professor Lupin is in any immediate danger. Severus, you've made the potion for him again?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape confirmed.

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Then he should be up and about in no time… Derek, have you had any of these chipolatas? They're excellent." One of the first years went bright red at being addressed by Dumbledore.

The rest of dinner went by without any more arguments breaking out. The food was delicious, and Liza filled herself until she could eat no more. When they were finished eating, Harry and Ron both stood from the table, and Professor Trelawney let out a cry.

"My dears!" she said. "Which of you left his seat first? Which?"

"Dunno," Ron answered, looking nervous.

"I doubt it will make much difference," Professor McGonagall said, "unless a mad axe-man is waiting outside the doors to slaughter the first into the Entrance Hall." Ron, Liza, and Hermione all let out a laugh at that, while Professor Trelawney looked offended.

"Coming?" Harry asked Liza and Hermione.

"No," Hermione answered, "we want a quick word with Professor McGonagall." Liza nodded her agreement. As everyone else began to get up from the table, Liza and Hermione went up to Professor McGonagall.

"Professor?" Hermione asked. "We were wondering if we could have a word."

"Of course, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said.

"Well, Harry received a Firebolt for Christmas this morning," Liza explained. "Except it didn't come with a card or a note, so he has no idea who sent it to him."

"Liza and I were both worried that maybe Sirius Black had sent him the broomstick," Hermione continued. "But Harry doesn't seem concerned at all that he just got the most amazing broomstick in the world from someone anonymously." Professor McGonagall furrowed her brows in thought.

"As nice as it would be to have a Firebolt playing for the Gryffindor Quidditch team," she began, "I think you may be on to something. We should definitely have a look at it before letting Potter fly it. He has it up in your common room right now?"

"Yes," Liza answered. Professor McGonagall nodded and set off for the Gryffindor common room, Liza and Hermione hurrying along in her wake. They reached the portrait hole and gave Sir Cadogan the password, who let them in.

"So that's it, then?" Professor McGonagall asked, walking over to look at the broom sitting on one of the tables. "Miss Granger and Miss Jones have just informed me that you have been sent a broomstick, Potter." Hermione had picked up a book and was hiding her face from the boys, but Liza stood next to Professor McGonagall, nodding. Harry and Ron looked at her questioningly.

"May I?" Professor McGonagall continued. She picked up the broom without waiting for Harry's response and weighed it in her hands. "Hmm. And there was no note at all, Potter? No card? No message of any kind?"

"No," Harry admitted, still looking confused.

"I see…" Professor McGonagall said. "Well, I'm afraid I will have to take this, Potter."

"W—what?" Harry exclaimed, jumping up to his feet. "Why?"

"It will need to be checked for jinxes," Professor McGonagall explained. "Of course, I'm not expert, but I daresay Madam Hooch and Professor Flitwick will strip it down…"

"Strip it down?" Ron repeated faintly.

"It shouldn't take more than a few weeks," Professor McGonagall finished. "You will have it back if we are sure it is jinx-free."

"There's nothing wrong with it!" Harry said. "Honestly, Professor…"

"You can't know that, Potter," Professor McGonagall said softly, "not until you've flown it, at any rate, and I'm afraid that is out of the question until we are certain that it has not been tampered with. I shall keep you informed." Professor McGonagall, gripping the Firebolt, turned and left the common room, leaving Harry and Ron watching her go with dropped jaws.

"_What did you go running to McGonagall for_?" Ron shouted, looking furiously between Hermione and Liza. Hermione put the book down and stared back at Ron.

"Because we thought—and Professor McGonagall agrees with us—that that broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!"

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: I know having Liza on Hermione's side all the time might take away from Hermione's strength at having to endure stuff on her own, but Liza can't help it. She's pretty logical, like Hermione and like Lily.**_


	10. Chapter 10 Loyalties Tested

_**A/N: Okay, this is a really long chapter compared to past ones. I didn't mean to let it get this long; it just did. It covers three chapters in the book, so that's probably why…**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 10 – Loyalties Tested**

For the remainder of the holidays, Hermione and Liza started to avoid the common room. Harry and Ron made it clear that they were upset about the Firebolt being taken away. They spent the first few days after Christmas doing homework and research for Buckbeak's case in the library. Then they used the last few days to visit Hagrid to show them the information they'd found so far.

"Where are Ron an' Harry?" Hagrid asked the day before classes were to resume.

"We, uh…" Liza started. "We had a bit of a fight with them."

"Harry was sent a Firebolt over Christmas," Hermione explained further. "There was no note or card with it. Liza and I suspected that Sirius Black may have sent it to Harry."

"Why would yeh suspect Black?" Hagrid asked.

"We know that Sirius Black may be trying to hunt Harry down," Liza said. "Harry overheard Mr. Weasley talking about it in London before school started."

"Ah, well, I'm sure yeh'll be able ter patch things up with 'em," Hagrid said. "I appreciate all yer help with Buckbeak's hearing." After going over some more information, they took a break and Hagrid made them some tea.

"Are you ready for classes to start tomorrow?" Liza asked him as he handed her and Hermione full teacups.

"Oh, yeah," Hagrid answered. "Got a real good lesson planned. I didn' wan' ter tell anyone, but since yeh've been so helpful… I thought we'd start with salamanders."

"Ooh, Hagrid, that sounds wonderful," Hermione said.

"Yer me firs' class o' the day," Hagrid said. "I hope it's better than those flobberworms."

Hermione and Liza spent a little longer with Hagrid before he insisted on walking them up to the castle for dinner. The girls took their seats at an empty part of the Gryffindor table, saying goodbye to Hagrid, who continued up to the staff table. The Great Hall was busy with students who had just arrived back from their holiday vacations.

"Liza!" George exclaimed as he and Fred walked into the Hall.

"Hi, George," Liza answered, beaming. "How was your holiday?"

"It was great," George replied. "I mean, Percy was there, so it wasn't the best it could have been, but it was nice to get away from the castle for a while. How are you guys? Get anything good for Christmas?"

"Lots of candy," Liza answered.

"Why are Harry and Ron sitting way over there?" Fred piped up, looking down the table to where Ron and Harry were dining. "You four always sit together."

"They're perfectly free to sit wherever they like," Hermione said. Fred and George gave the girls calculating looks but didn't push the subject.

Back in Gryffindor tower after dinner, Liza and Hermione went right up to their dormitory. They forgot that Parvati and Lavender would be back at Hogwarts that night.

"Hello," Parvati said shortly. "How was your holiday?"

"Good," Hermione answered. "How was yours?"

"Good," Parvati replied. An awkward silence followed as Parvati and Lavender continued their conversation in low voices, as though afraid that Liza and Hermione would be eavesdropping. Hermione busied herself by taking out her Ancient Runes book. She sat on her bed and began reading, Crookshanks curling up on the bed next to her. Liza went though her homework, checking to make sure she'd finished all of it.

"I think I'm going to head to bed," Liza said after a while. She drew all the curtains on her four poster except for the ones on the side that faced Hermione's bed. Hermione followed suit, keeping her curtains open on the side that face Liza.

"Are you excited for classes tomorrow?" Liza asked, grinning at her friend.

"Of course," Hermione replied. "It'll give me something to think about other than broom."

"I know what you mean," Liza sighed. "Well, good night, Hermione. See you in the morning."

"Good night, Liza."

**~LJ:WF~**

The next day throughout the Gryffindors' classes, Harry and Ron continued to avoid Liza and Hermione.

"Why aren' Harry an' Ron working with yeh?" Hagrid asked during Care of Magical Creatures. Most of the Gryffindors were grouped together in one area except for Hermione and Liza. John and Rhonda had joined them instead.

"They're still upset about the Firebolt," Liza replied. Rhonda gasped.

"A _Firebolt_?" she asked. "Who has a Firebolt?"

"Harry was sent one for Christmas, but it had no name on it," Liza replied. "So Hermione and I told Professor McGonagall about it so that they could check it for jinxes."

"That seems like a silly thing to be bad about," John said. "I mean, they're just making sure that the broom isn't going to kill him. Isn't that a good thing?"

"Not according to Ron or Harry, apparently," Liza said, shrugging.

"I'm sure they'll come 'round," Hagrid said. "Great job with the salamanders, you lot." Then he shuffled away to check on other groups' progress.

"It really isn't that hard," Rhonda said after he was out of earshot, "but it sure beats feeding flobberworms all day."

That afternoon, after their Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Hermione and Liza were heading back to Gryffindor tower when Hermione's bag spilled open.

"Oh, no," she moaned, turning around. Liza hurried to pick up the fallen books while Hermione sat at the feet of a suit of armor and started to shove stuff back into her bag.

"Have you ever thought about getting a new bag?" Liza asked. "Or maybe you could ask Professor Flitwick for a charm to make your bag bigger on the inside!"

"No, it's okay, it all fits," Hermione said. "Everything just needs to be put back exactly right." She wrestled her Defense Against the Dark Arts book inside and was able to close her bag.

"Still looks ill, doesn't he?" they heard Ron's voice say. They turned and saw Harry and Ron walking past them on the other side of the corridor. "What d'you reckon's the matter with him?" Hermione let out a loud, exasperated sigh. The boys turned around.

"And what are you tutting at us for?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Hermione replied, standing back up. She picked her bag back up and slung it over her shoulder.

"Yes, you were," Ron said. "I said I wonder what's wrong with Lupin, and you…"

"Well, isn't it _obvious_?" Hermione cut in.

"If you don't want to tell us, don't," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"Fine," Hermione said before stalking away. Liza followed her, confused as to what Hermione had meant.

"Okay, I don't want to sound dumb, but what's obviously wrong with Lupin?" she asked Hermione when they were far enough away from Harry and Ron so they couldn't overhear.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone," Hermione said.

"Who am I going to tell?" Liza asked. Hermione raised her eyebrow, and Liza added, "Okay, I won't tell anyone. Not even John."

"I'm pretty sure Lupin is…" Hermione started, then whispered, "a _werewolf_."

"A werewolf?" Liza asked, and Hermione shushed her.

"Every time he's been sick has been on the full moon," Hermione explained. "His boggart was the moon; it was hard to tell during the day in the staff room, but I'm sure that it was. Then there was Snape, who wouldn't listen to us and was determined that we study the werewolf specifically."

"Wow," Liza breathed. "I never would have guessed that. You're brilliant, Hermione." Hermione blushed slightly.

"Once Snape gave us that essay, I had a hunch," she explained. "So I checked for the full moons, and sure enough, those were the days that Lupin had been ill. That's when I figured out that the boggart was a moon, not just some round sphere. But we can't tell anyone," she finished, her eyes widening. "We don't want to get Professor Lupin in trouble. He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've had…"

"I'm sure at least Dumbledore knows about it," Liza said.

"Probably," Hermione agreed. "Let's get back to the common room, I've got loads of work to do after dinner."

**~LJ:WF~**

As January passed and entered into February, Liza realized that this had been the longest time she'd gone without speaking to Ron and Harry. In fact, she'd hardly ever avoided her first two best friends. She had been upset with them for about a week during the holidays last year, but it had been over a month now, and Harry and Ron were still mad about the broomstick.

Liza found herself under a bit more stress in this term than the last. The third years were being given a lot of work, plus Liza and Hermione were still taking time to help Hagrid out with Buckbeak's case. They had come up with some major points for Hagrid to talk about, which the girls were extremely proud of.

And although Liza thought that she had quite a bit of homework, she had no clue how Hermione was getting all her work done and was still finding time to do hippogriff research. The girls would sit in the common room every night, and Hermione would end up occupying a few tables with all of her work spread out across them.

Then, one night in mid-February, Professor McGonagall came to the Gryffindor common room, holding Harry's new broomstick.

"Excuse me, Miss Jones, Miss Granger," she said, coming up to the girls. "Do you happen to know where I can find Potter?" Hermione and Liza exchanged a look.

"We don't know," Liza answered. "You might want to check with Ron, he's sitting over there." She pointed to another area of the common room, where Ron was sitting with Dean, Seamus, Parvati, and Lavender.

"Thank you," Professor McGonagall said, and she left them to their work.

"Do you think they'll start talking to us again, now that Harry's getting his broom back?" Hermione asked, her quill paused at the top of a piece of parchment.

"I don't know," Liza said. She watched as Professor McGonagall exited through the portrait hole again. Ron hurried after her a few minutes later.

"I'm going to be annoyed if they show up here and don't apologize," Liza said to Hermione, who was bent over an essay. Hermione shrugged, clearly immersed in her work.

It wasn't long until Ron returned to the common room, and this time he was with Harry. A crowd gathered around him as they gaped at the broom he was carrying. Liza and Hermione stayed in their seats.

Ten minutes later, the boys came over to where the girls were sitting.

"I got it back," Harry said, smiling and holding his broomstick up.

"Obviously," Liza replied.

"See, Hermione, Liza? There wasn't anything wrong with it!" Ron exclaimed, looking excited.

"Well—there _might_ have been!" Hermione said.

"At least you know now that it's safe," Liza added, frowning. She was still waiting for their apology.

"Yeah, I suppose so," Harry said. "I'd better put it upstairs…"

"I'll take it!" Ron volunteered. "I've got to give Scabbers his rat tonic." Harry handed the broom over and Ron carried it gingerly to the boys' staircase.

"Can I sit down, then?" Harry asked. Hermione and Liza exchanged a look.

"I suppose so," Hermione answered. She removed some papers from a chair and Harry say down.

"How are you getting through all this stuff?" Harry asked, looking over Hermione's homework.

"Oh, well—you know—working hard," Hermione answered vaguely.

"Why don't you just drop a couple of subjects?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't do that!" Hermione yelped.

"Arithmancy looks terrible," Harry commented, picking up a number chart to examine more closely

"Are you kidding? Arithmancy is wonderful!" Liza said.

"It's my favorite subject!" Hermione added. Before she could go on, however, there was a loud yell coming from the boys' staircase. The whole common room grew quiet, bewildered. They could hear footsteps on the stairs growing louder until Ron emerged, dragging a bed sheet with him.

"LOOK!" he screamed, stomping over to them. He lifted the sheet and shoved it into Hermione face. "LOOK!" he repeated.

"Ron, what…?" Hermione said, leaning back.

"SCABBERS! LOOK! SCABBERS!" Ron yelled. Harry and Liza looked at the sheet and saw a spot of red on it.

"BLOOD!" Ron shouted. "HE'S GONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS ON THE FLOOR?"

"N—no?" Hermione said. Ron threw something onto Hermione's books: a handful of orange fur.

"YOUR MONSTER OF A CAT ATE SCABBERS!" Ron cried.

"A few pieces of fur doesn't prove anything," Hermione replied, her face reddening.

"IT—PROVES—EVERYTTHING!" Ron bellowed. "Your stupid cat has been after Scabbers all year, and it looks like he finally managed it! THERE'S NOTHING LEFT OF SCABBERS BUT SOME BLOOD ON MY SHEETS, AND ALL YOU CAN SAY IS THAT FINDING YOUR CAT'S FUR ISN'T PROOF?"

"Well, if Crookshanks did eat Scabbers, I'm very sorry but there's nothing I can do about it," Hermione shot back. "Cats chase rats, Ron. Cats chase rats and then they eat them. Besides, those bits of fur could have been in your dormitory since Christmas."

"YOU COULD HAVE KEPT A CLOSER EYE ON HIM!" Ron shouted. "I KEPT TELLING YOU THAT HE WANTED TO EAT SCABBERS, BUT YOU DIDN'T CARE, YOU'VE _NEVER_ CARED, ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS SCHOOLWORK AND YOUR ROTTEN, DIRTY, NO-GOOD, STINKING CAT!" Hermione's eyes were shiny with tears. She jumped up and ran for the girls' staircase. There was a ringing silence throughout the common room for a few moments before the other Gryffindors went back to what they'd been doing previously.

"I can't believe she still sticks up for that cat after this!" Ron exclaimed, shaking the sheet in his hand.

"Oh, shut _up_, Ron," Liza said. "You don't actually have any proof that Crookshanks ate Scabbers. To start with, is that even Scabbers's blood on those sheets?"

"Whose else would it belong to?" Ron ask darkly.

"I'm just saying," Liza said. "Who said that Scabbers didn't hurt himself and then went off somewhere to hide?"

"You always take Hermione's side!" Ron said, scowling.

"Yes, I do, because she's my best friend," Liza shot back. "We have a lot in common, including thinking logically about things."

"You're both impossible!" Ron sighed, throwing his hands in the air. Then he left for his dormitory, dragging his bed sheet with him.

"You think Crookshanks did it, though, right?" Harry asked Liza.

"I'm not going to stand here and assume things without proper proof," Liza replied, glaring at him. "Some cat fur in your guys' dormitory and a spot of blood doesn't really prove anything."

"But, Liza…" Harry started, but Liza shook her head, cutting him off.

"Just stop it," she said. "I'm sorry that Hermione and I went to Professor McGonagall without talking to you about it first. But we were just trying to protect you. We would have been devastated if, on the first time you took that broom out, it threw you off and you fell to your death. But I haven't heard an apology from you or Ron about it. Then Ron comes in here accusing Crookshanks of doing something that, yes, he may have done, but there isn't enough evidence to say that he did. Besides, Hermione can't do anything about it now. So Ron owes her an apology about that as well." Harry looked at her, seemingly at a loss for words. Liza narrowed her eyes and finished, "Let me know when you're ready to be friends again. I have to go see if Hermione is okay."

Liza turned on her heel and marched to the girls' staircase. She hurried up to her dormitory and opened the door.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped from her place on her bed. She was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, and her face was shining with tears.

"Hermione," Liza said sympathetically. She joined her friend on the bed.

"Ron hates me, doesn't he?" Hermione said glumly.

"I don't think he hates you," Liza replied gently. "I think he hates your cat, but I'm sure deep down that there's nothing you can do about it now."

"You don't think Crookshanks did it, do you?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure," Liza admitted. "There's really no evidence as to where Scabbers went. I mean, it's just as likely that he ran away or that someone else's pet ate him… Maybe Peeves stole him as a practical joke." Hermione cracked a small smile at this, and Liza continued, "The point is, there's no evidence that Crookshanks did it, but there's no evidence that he didn't, either."

"You're right," Hermione sighed. "But I don't even know where Crookshanks is. I haven't seen him for a few days."

"You don't know where he is?" Liza repeated, frowning.

"That's why I don't think he did it," Hermione continued. "I mean, it's possible that he's been in the tower and I just haven't seen him, but… I think he's off exploring the castle or maybe even the grounds." Liza checked her watch.

"We should probably get to sleep," she said. "You need to get some more rest." She half expected Hermione to put up a fight, but was pleasantly surprised when Hermione nodded in agreement.

"I need to go get my books, though," Hermione said. So the girls went back to the common room to gather up their things. Then they headed right back up to their dormitory.

"Good night Hermione, " Liza said as she settled into her bed a few minutes later. "Try not to think about Ron too much, okay?"

"Okay," Hermione yawned. "Good night."

**~LJ:WF~**

That Saturday was the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The Gryffindors were beyond ecstatic about the game, especially since they now had a Firebolt on their team. At breakfast, Oliver insisted that Harry put his broom on the table for everyone to see. Hermione and Liza sat as far away from the large crowd as they could.

"Good morning, girls," John said cheerfully, joining them at the Gryffindor table.

"Morning, John," Liza said, smiling. Hermione greeted him as well.

"So, is there any reason why we're sitting so far away from everyone else?" he asked as he served himself some eggs and toast.

"Well, the other night Ron went up to his dormitory and found a blood stain on his bed sheet," Liza explained. "Apparently Scabbers was gone, and Ron found some of Crookshanks's fur somewhere in their dormitory."

"Ah," John said. "So he thinks Crookshanks ate Scabbers? And I'm guessing that Harry took Ron's side…"

"Crookshanks is a cat!" Hermione burst out. "He eats rats, he can't help it, it's in his nature! That's assuming he even did it in the first place!"

"Well, I would like to remain loyally neutral in this," John chuckled. Hermione and Liza giggled, too. "But are you guys going to come to the match?"

"Of course," Liza said immediately. "We're still Gryffindors, and we still want to support the team." Hermione nodded vigorously.

"Oh, good," John said. "I'm glad I'll still have my Quidditch buddies to stand with." Liza looked over to see Malfoy talking to Harry, most likely about his broom.

"I just want Oliver to win the Quidditch Cup," Liza sighed. "He's been going crazy about it."

When it was time to go down to the Quidditch pitch, Liza, Hermione, and John followed a majority of the school out of the castle. When they reached the stands, they found a place that was away from Ron. It was a pretty cold day out, but it was nice and clear, much different from the Gryffindors' first match against Hufflepuff.

Soon the two teams were walking out to the center of the field to shake hands. Madam Hooch then blew her whistle, and the teams flew into the air. The match had begun.

"They're off, and the big excitement this match is the Firebolt that Harry Potter if flying for Gryffindor," Lee Jordan's voice echoed around the stadium. "According to _Which Broomstick_, the Firebolt's going to be the broom of choice for the national teams at this year's World Championship…"

"Jordan, would you mind telling us what's going on in the match?" Professor McGonagall interrupted him.

"Right you are, Professor—just giving a bit of background information," Lee said. "The Firebolt, incidentally, has a built-in auto-brake and…"

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall shouted.

"Okay, okay, Gryffindor in possession, Katie Bell of Gryffindor heading for goal…" Lee said, sounding disappointed that he couldn't keep talking about the Firebolt.

Suddenly, Harry was diving for the ground. He had seen the Snitch! But when he was about to catch it, a Bludger hit by one of the Ravenclaw Beaters flew towards him, and he had to dodge around it. In the excitement, the Snitch had disappeared.

"Gryffindor leads by eighty points to zero," Lee announced, "and look at that Firebolt go! Potter's really putting it through its paces now, see it turn—Chang's Comet is just no match for it, the Firebolt's precision-balance is really noticeable in these long…"

"JORDAN!" Professor McGonagall yelled. "ARE YOU BEING PAID TO ADVERTISE FIREBOLTS? GET ON WITH THE COMMENTARY!"

The game continued, and the Ravenclaws rallied back by scoring a few goals. Meanwhile, the Ravenclaw Seeker was doing everything in her power to block Harry from trying to get to the Snitch.

Then Hermione grabbed Liza's arm and shook it.

"Look!" she said, pointing at the field. Liza turned her attention to the ground and saw three black-cloaked creatures: dementors.

"Oh, no, not again," Liza moaned. She looked at Harry, who had just noticed them, too. But Harry whipped out his wand and bellowed something. A large silver figure burst from the end of his wand and charged the dementors as Harry continued flying. He stretched his hand out and a second later held it high above his head. In his hand was the Snitch; Gryffindor had won! The Gryffindors in the stands burst out in cheers. A group of students ran out onto the field to meet the team.

"Hey, look!" John said, pointing towards the dementors. Except, they weren't dementors at all. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Marcus Flint were all struggling to get out from under a pile of black robes.

"There weren't any dementors after all!" Hermione said, sounding relieved.

"Yeah, but they tried to distract Harry!" Liza pointed out. "That has to be against some kind of rules, right? Interference or something?"

"Well, it looks like Professor McGonagall has a thing or two to say to them," John said. Professor McGonagall was marching over to the four Slytherins, shouting something at them. Professor Dumbledore joined her, although he was much calmer than the Transfiguration teacher.

"Shall we go back up to the castle?" Hermione said. The Gryffindor team had left the stadium, and the rest of the House was following them back to the castle.

"Yeah, I'm sure the Weasley twins are planning a party as we speak," Liza replied. So the three of them walked back up to the castle, although they were walking a bit slower than the rest of the Gryffindors. At the Entrance Hall, Liza and Hermione said good bye to John and continued to their common room.

In Gryffindor tower, it seemed like the match was all anybody could talk about. There were some Gryffindors doing homework, with the promise of a party after dinner. Someone had turned the radio on, and loud music was blasting throughout the common room.

Hermione insisted on doing homework, as well. She had a lot of work to get done for Monday. Liza reluctantly agreed to work on their Arithmancy together, but she was having a hard time concentrating with the noise.

Finally it was dinner time, and Liza and Hermione went down to the Great Hall together. Hermione ate her dinner quickly, wanting to get back to the common room to keep doing her homework. She waited impatiently for Liza to eat a little more before they trooped back to the common room.

Once inside, they realized that the party had officially begun. The Weasley twins had scampered off after the match, and now they had butterbeer and candy from Honeydukes for the whole House to enjoy. Liza gave up on trying to do her homework, but Hermione continued, hiding away in a back corner where she wouldn't be disturbed.

"Liza!" George called, waving Liza over.

"Where did you guys get all this stuff?" Liza asked. George handed her a chocolate frog.

"Now that's a secret that only Fred and I are allowed to know," George replied, winking.

"Whatever," Liza said, smirking. "Fine, keep your secrets to yourself. And thanks for the chocolate frog." She picked up another chocolate frog and brought it over to Hermione.

"Here you go," she said, putting the chocolate frog on the table Hermione was sitting at.

"Thanks," Hermione said, not looking up from her Muggle Studies book. She unwrapped the frog and took a bite. "I can't believe you finished reading this during the week," she added.

"Well, I don't take as many subjects as you," Liza answered, sitting down next to her friend. She pulled their notes for Buckbeak's case over to her and started to add some new information to it.

A few minutes later, Harry approached their table.

"Did you even come to the match?" Harry asked, sounding slightly accusatory.

"Of course we did," Liza said, frowning.

"I'm very glad we won," Hermione added, "and I think you did very well, but I need to read this by Monday."

"Come on, you two, come and have some food," Harry insisted.

"We had some," Liza replied.

"I can't, Harry," Hermione said. "I've still got four hundred and twenty-two pages to read! Anyway…" She glanced over at Ron. "_He_ doesn't want me to join in."

Unfortunately, Ron decided at that moment to say loudly, "If Scabbers hadn't just been _eaten_, he could have had some of those Fudge Flies. He used to really like them…"

Liza balled her hands into fists, and Hermione burst into tears. She grabbed her book and her bag, and she ran for the girls' dormitories.

"Can't you give her a break?" Harry asked Ron.

"No," Ron replied. "If she just acted like she was sorry—but she'll never admit she's wrong, Hermione. She's still acting like Scabbers has gone on vacation or something."

"Maybe _you_ should be acting like _you're_ sorry," Liza snarled. "You have been nothing but horrible to her for the past few months. She's under enough stress as it is, and for the last time, _if_ Crookshanks ate Scabbers, _Hermione can't do anything about it now_."

"Why should I owe her an apology?" Ron asked. "Her monster of a pet ate Scabbers!"

"Merlin!" Liza exclaimed. "You are being completely ridiculous about this!" She turned and walked towards the girls' staircase.

"Liza!" George called. "You're not going to bed already, are you?" Liza looked over at him.

"Sorry, George," she said. "I'm just not feeling the whole party thing right now." And she disappeared up the stairs.

Hermione was sitting on her bed, sniffling and reading her book for Muggle Studies.

"Ron is a toad," Liza stormed. Hermione looked up.

"What happened?" she asked. "What did he say?"

"It's not so much what he said," Liza replied. "It's that he can't understand that there's nothing you can do to bring his pet back! He needs to accept that being angry at you isn't going to change anything!" She took a deep breath to compose herself. "I think I'm going to head to bed. It's getting late."

"I'm going to keep reading," Hermione replied. Liza changed into her pajamas, slid into her bed, and shut the curtains after saying good night to Hermione. If ever there was a time that Liza was thankful her dormitory was at the top of the tower, it was tonight; she couldn't hear any noise from the party downstairs, and she was able to fall asleep.

**~LJ:WF~**

Loud shouts woke Liza up. She groggily lifted her head and pulled back one of her curtains.

"What is that noise?" she asked, her voice croaky.

"There's something going on downstairs," Parvati spoke up from the darkness. "Professor McGonagall sent us all to bed a few hours ago… I wonder if somebody is trying to keep the party going?"

"Well, only one way to find out," Liza said. She pulled an old sweatshirt on over her pajamas and hurried from the dormitory. Parvati was the only one that followed her.

In the common room, people were gathering in the dark, all asking what was going on.

"Excellent, are we carrying on?" Fred asked as he emerged from the boys' staircase.

"Everyone back upstairs!" Percy commanded, also entering the common room from the dormitories.

"Perce!" Ron called, standing in the middle of the common room, looking shell-shocked. "Sirius Black! In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!" The common room went quite, everyone frozen in shock.

"Nonsense!" Percy said after a moment. "You had too much to eat, Ron—had a nightmare…"

I'm telling you…!" Ron started, but he was interrupted by Professor McGonagall stomping into the common room.

"Now, really, enough's enough!" she snapped, looking around at the students gathered. "I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!"

"I certainly didn't authorize this, Professor!" Percy insisted. "I was just telling them all to get back to bed! My brother Ron here had a nightmare…"

"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" Ron shouted. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, AND SIRIUS BLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!" Professor McGonagall stared at him in bewilderment.

"Don't be ridiculous, Weasley," she said, "how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" Ron cried, pointing towards the portrait hole. "Ask him if he saw…" Professor McGonagall didn't look convinced, but she went back to the portrait hole and opened it.

"Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?" she asked.

"Certainly, good lady!" Sir Cadogan replied. Nobody said anything for a few moments.

"You—you _did_?" Professor McGonagall asked. "But—but the password!"

"He had 'em!" Sir Cadogan said. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!" Professor McGonagall thanked him and reentered the common room.

"Which person," she began, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?" Only one person made a very small noise, and the Gryffindors turned to see Neville raising his hand into the air.

**~LJ:WF~**

Liza and Parvati went back up to their dormitory to wake Lavender and Hermione up.

"Sirius Black was here, in the boys' dormitory," Liza told Hermione. "Harry and Ron's dormitory. Ron said he woke up and Black was standing over his bed with a knife in his hand. Then he managed to disappear."

"Is Harry all right?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"Yeah, luckily Black got the wrong bed, and Ron woke up before anything happened," Liza said. "Professor McGonagall and the other teachers are searching the school again. She said she'd be back when their search was over. I think everyone is hanging out in the common room until she gets back." Hermione and Liza went back down the stairs to sit with the rest of their House. They sat in the corner and waited.

It was dawn when Professor McGonagall returned. She announced that Sirius Black had escaped once again. She also informed them that Sir Cadogan was to be removed, and the Fat Lady was going to resume her place in front of their common room entrance, with a couple of trolls positioned in the hallway to protect her portrait.

The students were not allowed to go out onto the grounds in the evenings anymore, which made it difficult for Hermione and Liza to visit Hagrid once more before Buckbeak's hearing. Thankfully, Hagrid came up to them at dinner on Sunday to tell them that he would meet them in the Entrance Hall on Monday at six to escort them from the castle.

"Are you feeling okay, Hagrid?" Liza asked on Monday evening after they had finished making last minute adjustments to Hagrid's speech.

"Nervous," Hagrid replied. "What if I say all this an' the committee thinks it's all rubbish? What if they find Buckbeak guilty anyway?"

"Well, at least you'll know that you tried," Hermione replied sympathetically. Liza and Hermione had grown quite fond of the hippogriff, who now let them pet him without bowing first.

"Yer right, o' course," Hagrid said. Liza smiled sadly, but Hermione's eyes grew teary.

"I'm so sorry that we won't be able to come see you before Friday," she said, her voice wobbling. "It's just—I have so much working piling up…"

"Don' beat yerself up, Hermione!" Hagrid said, looking aghast. "You an' Liza have done all that yeh can to help me. I am truly grateful fer all yer help. Don' cry…" He glanced at Liza, signaling for help as tears started to fall down Hermione's face.

"I'm s—sorry," Hermione said again. "I shouldn't be crying. I'm just exhausted."

"It'll be okay, Hermione," Liza said soothingly. "You'll see."

The next night, a notice went up on the bulletin board in the common room.

"Another Hogsmeade weekend," Liza said. "This Saturday. Do you want to go? I know you've had a lot of work to do recently."

"I don't know," Hermione replied, biting her lip. "I need to study. But you should go, if you want to."

"No, I don't want to leave you here by yourself," Liza replied. "Listen, we'll go to the library. It ought to be nice and quiet with everyone else in Hogsmeade." Hermione smiled.

"Okay," she agreed. "Thank you."

"What are friends for?" Liza asked, smiling back. "Besides, I feel like I still need to make up for being a jerk during first year."

"You weren't a jerk," Hermione reassured her. Then Liza saw Harry and Ron enter the portrait hole. They went over to the bulletin board and read the notice.

"Do you think Harry will try to get into Hogsmeade after what happened with Black last weekend?" Hermione whispered to Liza.

"Only one way to find out," Liza replied. She took her wand and levitated her books to stack on top of Hermione's books. They were now hidden from view. Ron and Harry were walking right towards them, and the boys sat at the table right next door.

"Well, Filch hasn't done anything about the passage into Honeydukes…" Harry said quietly to Ron. Hermione quickly shoved the books in front of her aside and said, "Harry!" The boys looked behind them, surprised.

"Harry, if you go into Hogsmeade again…I'll tell Professor McGonagall about that map!" Hermione said.

"Can you hear someone talking, Harry?" Ron asked, looking pointedly away from the girls.

"Ron, how can you let him go with you?" Liza asked exasperatedly. "After what Sirius Black nearly did to _you_?"

"I mean it, I'll tell…!" Hermione repeated herself.

"So now you're trying to get Harry expelled!" Ron hissed. "Haven't you two done enough damage this year?" At that moment, Crookshanks appeared and jumped onto Hermione's lap. Hermione picked him up and hurried off to the girls' dormitory. Liza stood up and glared at Ron.

"When will you get it into your head?" she asked Ron quietly. "You are being a bully. You are being completely horrible to someone who has been one of your good friends for the past two years. _You are the one who has done all the 'damage' this year_." And with that, she gathered her things and left for her dormitory.

**~LJ:WF~**

When Saturday came around, most of the students in the third year or older left the castle for Hogsmeade. Liza and Hermione, however, went to the library to do more studying. Spending the day in the library usually wouldn't be Liza's cup of tea, but since Hermione needed the peace and quiet, Liza was happy to give her the company she needed.

The library was practically empty, and Hermione looked happier than she had in a long while. The girls were able to finish their Transfiguration homework, Astronomy charts, Arithmancy number charts, and essays for History of Magic, Muggle Studies, and Potions by mid-afternoon.

"Thank you for coming to the library with me, Liza," Hermione said as they set aside their Potions essay. "I really needed this."

"No problem," Liza replied. "So what do we have left?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione reported happily. "I also have an essay for Divination and a section of text to translate for Ancient Runes. Then tomorrow can just be spent reading. It'll be lovely." Liza giggled.

"If reading a bunch of textbooks makes you happy, then I'm happy for you," she said. Then she heard a tapping nearby. She looked up at the window they were sitting next to and saw an owl outside. Getting up, Liza went to the window and opened it, letting the owl in. It dropped an note on their table and then flew right out the window in came through. Liza shut the window as Hermione picked up the note.

"It's from Hagrid!" she said anxiously. "Buckbeak's trial!"

"Well, open it, read it!" Liza urged. Hermione unfolded it and read aloud.

_Dear Hermione and Liza,_

_We lost. I'm allowed to bring him back to Hogwarts_

_Execution date to be fixed._

_Beaky has enjoyed London._

_I won't forget all the help you gave us._

_Hagrid._

Hermione, looking lost for words, handed the note over to Liza to examine. There were spots where the ink had been blotched by Hagrid's tears. Hermione's eyes started to water, and Liza felt a fury rising in her chest.

"It's not fair!" she said through gritted teeth. "How could anyone possibly want to execute Buckbeak? He's not dangerous, he was just doing what hippogriffs do!"

"I think it's time for a break," Hermione whispered. The girls gathered up their things and began to walk slowly back to their common room. Neither said anything until they rounded a corner and saw Ron and Harry walking towards them.

"Come to have a good gloat?" Ron asked venomously. "Or have you just been to tell on us?"

"What are you talking about?" Liza asked blankly. "Gloat about what?"

"We just thought you ought to know…" Hermione started shakily. "Hagrid lost his case. Buckbeak is going to be executed."

**~LJ:WF~**


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 11 – Gryffindor Finally Wins the Cup**

"He—he sent us this," Hermione said, holding the note from Hagrid out to Harry and Ron. Harry took it, and he and Ron read it together.

"They can't do this," Harry said. "They can't. Buckbeak isn't dangerous."

"Malfoy's dad's scared the Committee into it," Liza said angrily."You know what he's like."

"They're a bunch of doddery old fools, and they were scared," Hermione continued, sniffing. "There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope… Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah, it will," Ron said with determination. "You won't have to do all the work alone this time. I'll help."

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione cried, rushing forward and throwing her arms around his neck. Liza and Harry exchanged bewildered looks.

"Ron, I'm really, really sorry about Scabbers," Hermione said tearfully as she pulled away.

"Oh—well—he was old," Ron replied. "And he was a bit useless. You never know, Mum and Dad might get me an owl now."

"Ron," Liza said gently.

"Oh, all right," he sighed. "I'm sorry, too, Hermione. I haven't been a good friend to you for the past few months."

"I'm sorry, too," Harry said. "About avoiding you guys and getting upset about the Firebolt thing. You're right, I should have been more cautious about it being sent with no note." Liza smiled.

"I forgive you both," she said. "Hermione?"

"Well…" she said, smiling as she wiped her eyes dry. "I suppose I can forgive you."

**~LJ:WF~**

Liza was more than happy that her group of friends were back together and getting along again. However, there wasn't much room to be excited about it while they were worried about Hagrid and Buckbeak.

There was no way they would be able to visit Hagrid. Since Sirius Black had broken in for the second time, the security throughout the castle was super tight. So, the four Gryffindors waited until their next Care of Magical Creatures class to talk to Hagrid.

"Hagrid, what happened?" Liza asked after class as Hagrid led the class back up to the castle.

"S'all my fault," Hagrid said heavily. "Got all tongue-tied. They was all sittin' there in black robes an' I kep' droppin' me notes and forgettin' all them dates yeh looked up fer me, Liza, Hermione. An' then Lucius Malfoy stood up an' said his bit, and the Committee jus' did exac'ly what he told 'em…"

"There's still the appeal!" Ron said. "Don't give up yet, we're working on it!"

"S'no good, Ron," Hagrid said, shaking his head. "That Committee's in Lucius Malfoy's pocket. I'm jus' gonna make sure the rest o' Beaky's time is the happiest he's ever had. I owe him that…" The class clamored up the steps and into the castle as Hagrid turned around and returned to his cabin, sniffling into his handkerchief.

"Look at him blubber!" Malfoy scoffed, standing just inside the castle doors. "Have you ever seen anything quite as pathetic? And he's supposed to be our teacher!"

Harry, Ron and Liza turned to him angrily, but Hermione was the one to shoot past them and reach Malfoy first. Then she did something that nobody had ever thought she would do: she smacked Malfoy across the face.

"Don't you _dare_ call Hagrid pathetic, you foul—you evil…" Hermione seethed. She lifted her hand again, and Ron leapt forward to grab her wrist.

"Hermione!" he said, but Hermione pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"Get _off_, Ron!" she said, before pulling out her wand and pointing it at Malfoy's face. Malfoy took a step back, and Crabbe and Goyle looked confused.

"C'mon," Malfoy said to them, and they fled for the dungeons.

"Hermione, that was awesome!" Liza said, grinning.

"Harry, you'd better beat him in the Quidditch final!" Hermione said. "You just better had, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We're due in Charms," Ron said, staring at Hermione. "We'd better go." They all hurried up the stairs and to their Charms class.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Jones," Professor Flitwick said as they ran into the classroom. "You're late! Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs… You three can work together." Harry, Ron, and Liza went to the desks at the back of the classroom and took their wands out.

"Where's Hermione gone?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Liza said. "Wasn't she right behind us?"

"That's weird," Harry said. "Maybe—maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"

Hermione didn't show up for the entire lesson. Liza, Harry, and Ron couldn't feel worried, however, since they were under the effects of the Cheering Charms.

"She could've done with a Cheering Charm on her, too," Ron commented as he, Harry, and Liza left the class and headed down to lunch.

Hermione never showed up in the Great Hall either, and Liza was beginning to get worried.

"Where is she?" she muttered, drumming her fingers on the table.

"You don't think Malfoy did something to her?" Ron asked, his eyes widening. Liza looked over at the Slytherin table where Malfoy was sitting with Crabbe and Goyle.

"I don't think so," Liza said. "I think Malfoy would look more smug than that if he'd done anything to her."

"Come on, there's still time before our afternoon classes start," Harry said. "Let's go check up in the common room." The other two agreed, and they hurried off to Gryffindor tower.

"Flibbertigibbet," Ron said to the Fat Lady. Her frame swung open, and the three Gryffindors entered the common room. There, sitting at a table, was Hermione. She had fallen asleep with her head on her Arithmancy book. Liza rushed over and jostled her arm gently.

"Wh—what?" Hermione said, jerking her head up. "Is it time to go? W—which lesson have we got now?"

"Divination, but it's not for another twenty minutes," Harry replied, looking concerned. "Hermione, why didn't you come to Charms?"

"What?" Hermione asked, looking blank for a moment before she fully processed what Harry had said. "Oh no! I forgot to go to Charms!"

"But how could you forget?" Harry asked. "You were with us till we were right outside the classroom!"

"I don't believe it!" Hermione stormed angrily to herself. "Was Professor Flitwick angry? Oh, it was Malfoy, I was thinking about him and I lost track of things!"

"You know what, Hermione?" Ron began, and Liza shot him a warning look. "I reckon you're cracking up. You're trying to do too much."

"No, I'm not!" Hermione insisted. "I just made a mistake, that's all! I'd better go and see Professor Flitwick and say sorry… I'll see you in Divination!" She jumped up and ran from the common room. Harry, Ron, and Liza stared after her.

"Well," Liza said after a moment of confused silence, "I suppose I'll head off to Arithmancy. I'll see you guys later."

"Yeah, later," Harry echoed.

**~LJ:WF~**

"You did _what_?" Liza asked, looking at Hermione in confused surprise. Hermione sighed, and was about to speak when Liza interrupted with, "Wait! Tell me from the very beginning."

It was almost dinner time, and Hermione and Liza had gone back to their dormitory to change out of their uniforms.

"Well, we got to Divination," Hermione started, "and Professor Trelawney informed us that our final exam would involve crystal gazing." She rolled her eyes. "You should have heard her talk about it. 'The fates have informed me that your examination in June will concern the Orb'… Such rubbish! 'The fates' informed her of what she'll be putting on _her exam_?" She shook her head and continued, "Anyways, she set us to work trying to see something in these little crystal balls. Then Professor Trelawney came over to our table, and you can guess what she saw in our crystal ball…"

"The Grim?" Liza guessed.

"The Grim," Hermione agreed. "Or at least, I assume that's what she was going to say… I didn't really let her finish her sentence."

"Hermione!" Liza gasped, grinning gleefully. "Are you tell me that my best friend actually interrupted a _teacher_?" Hermione smirked.

"Possibly," she replied. "I upset Professor Trelawney quite a bit."

"Why?" Liza asked. "What did you say?"

"Well, she started to tell Harry that she could see the Grim in the crystal," Hermione explained. "So I said something like, 'Not that ridiculous Grim _again_!'"

"And what did our dear, sweet Divination teacher have to say to that?" Liza asked eagerly. Hermione drew herself up tall and took a deep breath.

"'I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my _dear_,'" Hermione imitated mockingly, "'it has been quite apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires. Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane.'" Liza giggled at Hermione's dramatic reenactment of Professor Trelawney's speech.

"So what did you say next?" Liza asked.

"I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed in me," Hermione answered. "I was so furious that I couldn't really come up with anything good to say back. So I just said 'Fine!' and then 'I give up! I'm leaving!' And then I stormed out of that blasted tower of a classroom and went straight to Professor McGonagall."

"Why?" Liza questioned.

"I wanted to see if I could drop the class," Hermione said. "I wasn't sure if I would still be expected to sit the final exam, or if I would get an automatic fail for not finishing the class. Professor McGonagall said it was fine, that people ended up dropping extra classes all the time from cracking under the stress."

"That's one less class you have to worry about, too," Liza said. "You're lucky."

"Unfortunately, Divination wasn't a class with loads of homework," Hermione said. "I really didn't drop my workload by that much."

"You know, I don't think Professor Trelawney knows what the word 'mundane' means," Liza said thoughtfully. "Mundane means boring, but we all know that your mind isn't boring." Hermione beamed, her cheeks slightly flushing.

"Shall we head down to dinner?" she suggested. "I'm sure the boys have gone down without us by now."

"Yeah, I'm starving," Liza replied, and the girls headed downstairs for dinner.

**~LJ:WF~**

The Easter holidays arrived, and the teachers were beginning to give them homework to prepare for their final exams. Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves in the library for the most of the day, trying to get through all the work they had to do. Oliver also had Harry out on the Quidditch pitch every day, training for their upcoming match, which was scheduled for the Saturday after the Easter holidays.

The match was the only thing the Gryffindors seemed able to talk about. There was a lot of tension growing between Gryffindor and Slytherin as the match approached.

At the end of the holidays, Oliver stood up in the Gryffindor common room and called attention to the rest of the House.

"You all know we have a very important match coming up," he began. "If we can win this match by more than 50 points, we'll have won the Quidditch cup!" The Gryffindors cheered at this announcement. "However, I don't trust that the Slytherin team won't try and take our Seeker out of commission sometime during the week. It's widely known that we have no back up Seeker, so if anything happened to Harry, we'd have to concede the match. Therefore, I want each and every one of us to watch out for Harry throughout the week. He should never be left alone; I don't want to take any chances."

"Thanks for looking out for the rest of us, Oliver!" Fred said jokingly.

"Well, I don't think the Slytherins will be as interested in hurting you as opposed to Harry," Oliver replied. Harry looked thoroughly embarrassed.

Throughout the week, the Gryffindors heeded Oliver's words. Harry found himself surrounded by other Gryffindors no matter where he went. The most the Slytherin team could do was try to trip Harry in the hallways.

While Harry found himself in no immediate danger, several fights had broken out between Gryffindors and Slytherins.

"I mean, I get it," Liza said to John in Potions class. "This match is a big deal, especially to Gryffindor… I just don't understand why some people would go as far as physical violence."

"People are excited," John replied. "Quidditch has always been that way."

"You didn't see any fights break out between Gryffindors and Ravenclaws," Liza pointed out.

"True," John admitted. "But there have been no bigger rivals than our Houses."

On the night before the match, the common room was filled with such intense excitement that nobody could do any homework. Not even Hermione could force herself to work.

"I can't work, I can't concentrate," she moaned, pushing her Ancient Runes book aside.

"It's official," Liza said. "This is the most hyped our House has ever been; not even Hermione can do her homework." Harry looked positively sick to his stomach.

"You're going to be fine," Hermione reassured him.

"You've got a _Firebolt_!" Ron added.

"Yeah…" Harry said, looking unconvinced. Oliver stood up soon after.

"Team!" he said. "Bed!" Harry got up and started for the boys' staircase, following Oliver, Fred, and George from the common room. The rest of Gryffindor House didn't know what to do; Fred and George had been providing entertainment for the majority of the common room.

"Maybe we ought to head to bed as well," Hermione suggested after a few minutes. Ron and Liza agreed, and they all headed up to their dormitories.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next morning was clear and sunny. Hermione and Liza dressed in their dormitory and then headed for the common room, where they met up with Ron and Neville.

"Where's Harry?" Liza asked.

"I think he's still up in the dormitory," Ron answered. "Let's go to breakfast, though, I'm starving." He led the way out of the common room and down to the Great Hall. They four third years took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"The Slytherin team is already down here," Hermione commented nervously.

"They look a bit more anxious than they usually do," Liza added, looking at the Slytherin boys in the bright green robes.

"They should be anxious!" Ron stated. "They're going up against the best Quidditch team in the whole school, not to mention our Seeker has a Firebolt!" Then applause broke out, and the third years turned to see the Gryffindor team entering the Great Hall. Even students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were cheering as Oliver led his team to the table.

"Eat up, eat up!" he commanded as the rest of the team sat. Oliver began pacing behind Fred, George, and Angelina. He didn't sit down once, and when the team had finished eating, he quickly ushered them to leave the castle and check out the conditions on the field. Harry glanced back at his friends, and Liza, Hermione, and Ron all waved at him. There was more applause as the team left the Great Hall.

"I think Oliver's lost it," Liza said. "He needs to calm down."

"I'm sure he'll feel better when he's in the air," Hermione said.

At a quarter to eleven, the school began to empty as everyone began the walk down to the stadium. Liza followed Ron, Hermione, and Neville, but a shout held her back for a moment.

"Good luck to you guys today," John said, grinning and wearing Slytherin colors.

"It'll be an interesting match," Liza said, nodding. "Thanks. No hard feelings when we crush your team into the ground?" John laughed.

"We'll see," he said. "We'd better get going, I don't think our Houses would like us talking today of all days."

"See you later," Liza said, smiling. Then she hurried to catch up with her friends.

"Fraternizing with the enemy?" Ron asked when she had rejoined them. Liza rolled her eyes.

"He's not the enemy, and you know it," she shot back.

"He may be a nice enough bloke, but today he's the enemy," Ron answered, smirking a little.

"Whatever, Ron," Liza said. "C'mon, let's go find some good seats." The four third years reached the stadium and found a place to stand next to Dean and Seamus. Neither team had come out of their locker rooms yet, but the stands quickly filled up with students.

"Welcome to today's Quidditch match, Slytherin versus Gryffindor!" Lee's voice echoed around the stadium. "And here are the Gryffindors!" Everyone in the Gryffindor section screamed as the team marched out onto the field. "Potter, Bell, Johnson, Spinnet, Weasley, Weasley, and Wood. Widely acknowledged as the best team Hogwarts has seen in a good few years…" A large cry of protest rose up from the Slytherin side of the stadium.

"And here comes the Slytherin team, led by Captain Flint," Lee continued. "He's made some changes in the lineup and seems to be going for size rather than skill…" There was more protesting from the Slytherins.

Madam Hooch stepped up to the middle of the field and waved the teams towards her. She signaled the captains to shake hands, which Flint and Wood did. Then Madam Hooch put her whistle to her mouth and blew. The fourteen players pushed off the ground into the air, and the match had begun.

"And it's Gryffindor in possession," Lee started, "Alicia Spinnet of Gryffindor with the Quaffle, heading straight for the Slytherin goal posts, looking good, Alicia! Argh, no—Quaffle intercepted by Warrington, Warrington of Slytherin tearing up the field—WHAM!—nice Bludger work there by George Weasley, Warrington drops the Quaffle,it's caught by—Johnson, Gryffindor back in possession, come on, Angelina—nice swerve around Montague—_duck, Angelina, that's a Bludger!_—SHE SCORES! TEN-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!" The Gryffindors scream their approval. Then, as Angelina was celebrating her goal, Flint crashed into her with her broom.

"C'mon, that's gotta be a foul!" Liza shouted as the Gryffindor cheers turned to boos. A few seconds later, one of the Weasley twins had thrown his bat at Flint and hit him in the back of his head, which jerked forward and smashed into the handle of his broomstick. Madam Hooch flew over and was gesturing wildly.

"Wait, what's happening?" Hermione asked, her fingers laced together anxiously.

"They're giving each team a penalty shot," Ron explained. "One for Flint flying into Angelina, and one for Fred hitting Flint with his club." Alicia took the Quaffle and lined up for the penalty shot.

"Come on, Alicia!" Lee said as the crowd quieted. Alicia took her shot, and—"YES! SHE'S BEATEN THE KEEPER!" Lee shouted. "TWENTY-ZERO TO GRYFFINDOR!" Flint was next, taking the penalty shot for Slytherin.

"'Course, Wood's a superb Keeper," Lee said as Flint prepared to take his shot. "Superb! Very difficult to pass—very difficult indeed—YES! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! HE'S SAVED IT!" The Gryffindors cheered loudly, excited to have gained an early twenty-zero lead on the Slytherins.

"Gryffindor in possession," Lee began again as play resumed, "no, Slytherin in possession—no!—Gryffindor back in possession, and it's Katie Bell, Katie Bell for Gryffindor with the Quaffle, she's streaking up the field—THAT WAS DELIBERATE!" One of the Slytherin Chasers had flown in front of Katie and had grabbed her head instead of the Quaffle. Katie somehow managed to stay on her broom, and Madam Hooch blew her whistle. She awarded Katie another penalty shot, which she put in easily.

"THIRTY-ZERO! TAKE THAT, YOU DIRTY, CHEATING…!" Lee shouted into his megaphone.

"Jordan, if you can't commentate in an unbiased way…!" Professor McGonagall, who was sitting next to him as usual, warned.

"I'm telling it like it is, Professor!" Lee insisted.

Suddenly, Harry took off across the pitch, and people below gasped in excitement.

"Has he seen the Snitch?" Hermione asked, grabbing Liza's arm.

"Oliver told him to wait until they were more than fifty points ahead to catch it," Liza said, frowning.

"Maybe he's just trying to fake Malfoy out!" Ron said. "You know, distract him from trying to look for the Snitch."

As Harry streaked across the field, one of the Slytherin Beaters aimed a Bludger at him, but it missed. Seconds later, the other Slytherin Beater whacked the other Bludger at Harry, but this one missed as well. Both the Slytherin Beaters were flying at Harry from opposite directions, their clubs raised in the air.

"You don't think they'll hit him, do you?" Hermione cried. Harry, however, pulled his broom up and sped into the air. The Beaters, with no time to react, flew into each other and collided. A cry of protest rose up from the Slytherin supporters, but Harry had done anything wrong, so play continued.

"Ha haaa!" Lee laughed into the megaphone. "Too bad, boys! You'll need to get up earlier than that to beat a Firebolt! And it's Gryffindor in possession again, as Johnson takes the Quaffle—Flint alongside her—poke him in the eye, Angelina!"

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall barked.

"It was a joke, Professor, it was a joke," Lee replied. "Oh no… Flint in possession, Flint flying toward the Gryffindor goal posts, come on now, Wood, save…!" But Wood barely missed the Quaffle, and the Slytherins had scored their first points. Lee swore loudly into the megaphone, and there was the sound of a scuffle. It sounded as though Professor McGonagall was trying to take the megaphone away from Lee, but he wouldn't let her have it.

"Sorry, Professor, sorry!" he said. "Won't happen again! So, Gryffindor in the lead, thirty points to ten, and Gryffindor in possession…" The game was getting rough as the Slytherins furiously tried anything they could to get the Quaffle back. One of the Slytherin Beaters hit Alicia in the head with his club, which caused George to elbow him in the face. Madam Hooch called for another double penalty. Alicia took the one for Gryffindor and scored, while Oliver managed to save the Slytherin's attempt once again. Now it was forty-ten.

Play continued, and Katie was able to score. Fred and George flew over to her, protecting her from any Slytherin retaliation, but the Slytherin Beaters targeted Oliver instead. They hit both Bludgers at him, and they both hit him in the stomach, one after the other. Madam Hooch immediately called a penalty, and Angelina took it and scored. It was sixty-ten, and the Gryffindors below were screaming so loud that it was deafening in the stadium.

"Come on, one more goal!" Liza said, jumping up and down. "Then Harry can catch the Snitch!" The Slytherins had taken possession of the Quaffle, but it didn't last long; Fred aimed a Bludger perfectly at the Slytherin Chaser, who dropped the ball. Alicia caught it and scored again.

It seemed as though all the Gryffindors knew what that meant; everyone looked to Harry, who had sprang into action. He was flying upwards, Malfoy on his tail. Suddenly, Harry seemed to slow down.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked fearfully.

"Malfoy's grabbed Harry's broom!" Ron snarled. "He can't do that!" Madam Hooch's whistle blew.

"YOU CHEATING SCUM!" Lee was bellowing from the commentators booth. "YOU FILTHY, CHEATING…!" Professor McGonagall didn't even try to take the megaphone away from him, and one look at where she and Lee were sitting showed that she was looking equally as angry.

Madam Hooch gave Gryffindor another penalty shot, and Alicia took it but missed. The whole Gryffindor team was upset by what had just happened that one of their Chasers was able to score. They were only up by fifty now, and Harry couldn't catch the Snitch. Instead, he seemed to be trying with all his might to block Malfoy from being able to properly look for it.

"Angelina Johnson gets the Quaffle for Gryffindor," Lee announced, "come on, Angelina, COME ON!" The Slytherin team, with the exception of Malfoy and their Keeper, were flying towards Angelina, attempting to block her. Then suddenly, Harry shot forward, scaring the Slytherins into scattering apart, leaving Angelina with a clear shot. She took the shot and scored!

However, as Harry had been helping his teammate, Malfoy had spotted the Snitch. He had begun to dive as Harry turned around and looked back at him. Harry shot forward, urging his broom to go faster.

"Oh, I can't watch!" Hermione moaned, covering her face with her hands.

"Come on, Harry!" Liza yelled. Harry had caught up with Malfoy—he dodged a Bludger—the boys were neck and neck—

"Hermione, you can look!" Ron shouted as the Gryffindors erupted in deafening cheers. Harry was zooming around the pitch, the little Snitch grasped tightly in his hand. Gryffindor students were pouring onto the field as the Quidditch team all flew at Harry, grabbing at him. The team landed onto the pitch, and were immediately hoisted into the air. Liza, Ron, and Hermione joined the group, cheering and shouting themselves hoarse. Harry looked around and saw them, and he grinned.

The crowd carried the team over to where Dumbledore was in the stands, with the Quidditch Cup. Dumbledore handed the cup to Oliver, who looked like he was about to pass out from shock, and Oliver passed it to Harry. Harry lifted it into the air to the approving screams of the Gryffindor supporters.

_That's my brother_, Liza thought to herself, and the grin on her face couldn't grow any bigger.

**~LJ:WF~**


	12. Chapter 12 Padfoot

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 12 – Padfoot**

The Quidditch win had the Gryffindors ecstatic for the next week. The weather outside was growing nicer as well. Unfortunately, as June approached, the students in the castle were bombarded with exam preparatory work. Percy Weasley, who was a seventh year and concentrating on taking his N.E.W.T.s, had strict rules about keeping the common room quiet.

The third years were given their exam schedules by Professor McGonagall the week before their exams were to begin. Liza found that her schedule was very full with her three elective classes.

That night, in the common room, Liza compared her schedule to Ron's and Harry's.

"This is so not fair," Liza complained. "I have three exams on Monday, you guys only have two."

"What do you have on Monday?" Harry asked, looking over Liza's schedule.

"I have Arithmancy at 4," she grumbled. "So does Hermione, I bet."

"Hermione, let's see your exam schedule," Ron said. "I'd like to see how you're managing all you extra classes." He reached over and picked up her schedule. "Are you sure they've got your exam times right?"

"What?" Hermione asked impatiently, glancing at the piece of paper. "Yes, of course."

"But they have you taking your Ancient Runes exam at the same time as we're supposed to be taking Charms," Harry said, looking at the paper, too. "Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?"

"No," Hermione replied. "Have any of you seen my copy of _Numerology and Gramatica_?"

"You can borrow mine, 'Mione," Liza said, pushing her book across the table. Just then they heard a flutter of wings, and Hedwig had flown in through the window. She dropped the note she was carrying in front of Harry.

"It's from Hagrid," Harry reported as he opened the note. "Buckbeak's appeal—it's set for the sixth."

"That's the day we finish our exams," Hermione said, pulling Liza's book to her.

"And they're coming up here to do it," Harry continued. "Someone from the Ministry of Magic and—and an executioner."

"They're bringing the executioner to the appeal?" Liza asked, frowning. "But that sounds as though they've already decided!"

"Yeah, it does," Harry agreed.

"They can't!" Ron said. "I've spent _ages_ reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!"

"I wish we could go and see Hagrid," Harry said.

"We could always use the Invisibility Cloak," Liza suggested.

"How can you guys think of doing anything besides study this week?" Hermione said, looking appalled. "We have exams starting on Monday!"

"I don't have the Invisibility Cloak, anyway," Harry said glumly. "I left it in the one-eyed witch statue after my last visit to Hogsmeade. I can't go back there, Snape's already too suspicious of me, and if he saw me up there again…"

All four Gryffindors were worried about Buckbeak's appeal, and it didn't help that throughout the week Malfoy kept talking about how Buckbeak was going to be executed. Liza had to pull Harry and Ron away from him multiple times to keep them out of trouble.

"It's not worth it," she told them multiple times. "We've got final exams coming up, you need the time to study, which you won't be able to do if you're in detention."

**~LJ:WF~**

Exams were upon them, and the castle was high with stressful energy.

The Gryffindor third years' first exam Monday morning was Transfiguration. Liza had been quite pleased with her exam. The toughest part had been turning a teapot into a tortoise, and many of the other third years spent the walk down to the Great Hall complaining.

"I think my tortoise looked too much like a turtle," Hermione said, looking worried.

"Hermione, you've got to be joking," Ron said. "You had the best looking tortoise in the entire class."

After lunch, they headed up to the Charms classroom, where they had to perform a handful of charms on their partners. Hermione and Liza partnered together. Hermione cast all her spells perfectly, while Liza's Cheering Charm wasn't quite as powerful as it should have been. Harry, on the other hand, had cast his Cheering Charm too powerfully and caused Ron to have to be removed from the class for an hour while he calmed down.

After Charms, Hermione and Liza went to sit their Arithmancy exam. Liza found it to be fairly straightforward and was confident in her answers. Once that exam was over, Liza and Hermione met the boys for dinner, and after dinner, they all went back to the common room to get some last minute studying in for Care of Magical Creatures, Potions, and Astronomy.

Tuesday morning dawned, and Liza and her friends went down to Care of Magical Creatures to find a very distracted Hagrid. He had a group of new flobberworms, and their exam was to keep their flobberworm alive for an hour.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told Harry, Liza, Ron, and Hermione as he examined their flobberworms. "Bin cooped up too long. But still…we'll know the day after tomorrow—one way or the other…"

That afternoon the Gryffindor third years had their Potions final. Snape instructed them to complete a Confusion Concoction during the exam time. Liza thought hers turned out very well, and she left the dungeons feeling proud of herself.

The Astronomy exam was held at midnight, which was held at the top of the tallest tower in the castle. Then on Wednesday, the third years had History of Magic in the morning and Herbology in the afternoon. Just like that, they only had two exams left.

On Thursday morning, they had their Defense Against the Dark Arts final. For their exam, Professor Lupin had set up a sort of obstacle course of Dark creatures they had pass. First they had to get past a grindylow in a pool. Then they had to get past a field of Red Caps. Next, they had to cross a bog without falling for any misleading directions from a hinkypunk. Lastly, they had to defeat a boggart. Liza went through the first two parts without problem, but the hinkypunk almost persuaded her to go in the wrong direction. Luckily, she was able to correct her course. She had no problems with the boggart, and was happy with the results of her exam. She and Harry waited for Ron and Hermione to complete their exams, and the four of them headed back to the castle.

They stopped short at the front steps when they saw the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was standing at the top of the steps.

"Hello there, Harry!" Fudge called, and Harry led the others up the steps. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," Harry answered awkwardly as Liza, Ron, and Hermione lingered behind him.

"Lovely day," Fudge commented, looking out over the ground. "Pity…pity…" He paused before continuing, "I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"_Mad_ hippogriff?" Liza asked angrily.

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron asked, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," Fudge replied.

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" Ron said. "The hippogriff might get off!" At that moment, the castle doors opened and two men stepped out onto the steps behind Fudge.

"Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this," the older wizard sighed. "Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?" Ron looked like he wanted to continue talking, but Hermione grabbed his wrist and steered him into the castle.

"Why'd you stop me?" he asked in annoyance. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" Hermione answered. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak…" Liza and Harry exchanged doubtful looks. The four of them took seats in the Great Hall away from everyone else, worried for Hagrid.

After lunch, Harry and Ron went off to their Divination exam, while Hermione and Liza went to their Muggle Studies final. It didn't take the girls long to finish their exam, and they went back to the common room when they were finished.

"I almost don't know what to do," Hermione said as she and Liza took a seat on the couch in front of the fire. "We don't have any more schoolwork to finish."

"So, do you think you're going to keep taking all four of the extra classes next year?" Liza asked. "I mean, I know you can't tell me how you've been going to multiple classes at once, but that must have been frustrating."

"I'm thinking of dropping Muggle Studies," Hermione admitted. "It's fascinating to hear about Muggles from the Wizarding perspective, but I'm not actually learning anything. I'd rather put the extra time into Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

"And Care of Magical Creatures?" Liza asked slyly. Hermione flushed.

"Yes, of course," she hurried to agree. She sighed and added, "Hopefully Hagrid gets his act together next year. I can't stand another year of staring at flobberworms do nothing for every class."

"I know what you mean," Liza said. "Do you want to play some Exploding Snap while we wait for Harry and Ron?" Hermione agreed, and she and Liza began to build a house of cards with Liza's Exploding Snap deck. Not long after, Ron entered the common room and flopped into one of the chairs.

"How was the exam?" Liza asked. "Where's Harry?"

"Professor Trelawney saw us individually," Ron replied. "Harry went after me, so he's still taking his exam."

"So what did you have to do?" Hermione questioned.

"We were reading crystal balls," Ron answered. "I couldn't see anything, of course, so I made up some rubbish. I don't think I convinced Trelawney, but it's over now." Suddenly, Liza and Hermione's house of cards exploded on them, causing Hermione to squeak in alarm. Liza laughed and started picking up the cards.

They heard a tapping on the window nearby, and the three students turned around.

"Hedwig!" Liza said, and Ron jumped up and hurried to open the window. Hedwig hooted as she held her leg out to Ron. He untied the note, and Hedwig took off out the window again. Ron unfolded the piece of paper and read it.

"Oh, no," he said miserably, holding it out for Liza and Hermione to read.

_Lost the appeal. They're going to execute at sunset._

_Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it._

_Hagrid_

"How could they execute poor Buckbeak?" Hermione asked, sniffing back tears. Then Harry came bursting into the common room and hurried over to them.

"Professor Trelawney," he gasped, "just told me…" He stopped at the looks on his friends' faces.

"Buckbeak lost," Ron explained.

"Hagrid's just sent this," Liza added, holding the parchment out for Harry to take.

"We've got to go," Harry said. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"

"Sunset, though," Ron said. "We'd never be allowed…'sepcially you, Harry…"

"If only we had the Invisibility Cloak…" Harry said, sinking into a chair.

"Where is it again?" Hermione asked.

"Inside that one-eyed witch statue," Harry replied. "But if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble."

"That's true," Hermione said. She stood up. "If he sees _you_… How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You—you tap it and say '_Dissendium_'," Harry answered, looking confused. "But…" Hermione turned and left the common room without another word.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron asked, looking at Liza and Harry with a dumbfounded expression.

"Exploding Snap?" Liza offered, holding up her deck of cards. Harry and Ron reluctantly sat down and started a game with Liza.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione returned to the common room. She pulled the Invisibility Cloak out from under her robes.

"Hermione, I don't know what's gotten into you lately!" Ron said in amazement. "First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney…"

Hermione beamed.

**~LJ:WF~**

Harry brought the Invisibility Cloak with him to dinner, hiding it under his robes. When he and his friends were finished with dinner, they hid in an empty chamber off the Entrance Hall and waited until everyone else had gone back to their common rooms. Finally, Hermione stuck her head out the door and called the coast clear. The four of them huddled together under the Cloak and started to slowly walk across the Entrance Hall and out of the castle.

When they got to Hagrid's house, Harry reached out and knocked. They stayed under the Cloak, and when Hagrid answered his door, he looked around in confusion.

"It's us," Harry whispered. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid moaned. He stepped aside and waved them in. They entered the hut, and Harry pulled the Cloak off of them.

"Wan' some tea?" Hagrid asked as they sat down around his giant table.

"Sure," Liza said gently.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"I—I took him outside," Hagrid replied. "He's tethered in my pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an'—an' smell the fresh air—before…" He shuddered and dropped the jug of milk he'd been holding.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," Hermione volunteered, jumping up and stepping forward to clean up the spilled milk.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down at the table.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore…"

"He's tried," Hagrid assured them. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared… Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like…threatened 'em, I expect…an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's…but it'll be quick an' clean…an' I'll be beside him…" Hagrid had to take a moment to recompose himself before continuing, "Dumbledore's gonna come down while it—while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter—ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore…"

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Liza said fiercely, but Hagrid shook his head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle," he said. "I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh should' be down here anyway… If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in trouble." Liza heard sniffling coming from Hermione, but she was hiding her face from them as she made the tea. She was about to pour some milk into the jug she'd gotten out of the cupboard when she let out a short scream.

"Ron!" she exclaimed. "I—I don't believe it—it's _Scabbers_!"

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked quizzically. Hermione carried the jug over to the table and held it upside down. Scabbers came tumbling out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" Ron said, scooping up the rat. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?" The rat continued to struggle in Ron's hands. "It's okay, Scabbers! No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!" Liza and Hermione exchanged a quick glance but neither said a word.

"They're comin'…" Hagrid said suddenly, his eyes widening as he looked out the window. The four Gryffindors all turned to look out the window, as well, and they saw Dumbledore leading the Ministry men down the castle steps.

"Yeh gotta go," Hagrid commanded. "They mustn' find you here… Go now…" Hermione scrambled to pick up the cloak, and Ron shoved Scabbers into his pocket. "I'll let yeh out the back way." Hagrid opened his back door and ushered the students into the pumpkin patch. The moment they set eyes on Buckbeak, they froze.

"It's okay, Beaky," Hagrid said to the hippogriff, who was pawing at the ground. "It's okay… Go on," he added to Harry, Ron, Liza, and Hermione. "Get goin'."

"Hagrid, we can't…" Harry said.

"Please let us stay and talk to them…" Liza begged.

"We'll tell them what really happened…" Ron added.

"They can't kill him…" Hermione sobbed.

"Go!" Hagrid insisted. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!" Hermione threw the Cloak over the others. "Go quick," Hagrid added. "Don' listen…" The four walked swiftly around Hagrid's hut and began the journey up to the castle.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione said softly. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it…" They hurried on until Ron suddenly stopped.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione begged desperately.

"It's Scabbers," Ron replied. "He won't…stay put…" Liza looked over to see Ron struggling with his rat, trying to keep him in his pocket. "Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron!" The door to Hagrid's hut opened behind them, and they could hear voices.

"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione moaned.

"Okay," Ron said. "Scabbers, stay _put_…" They started forward again, but Ron stopped once more.

"I can't hold him," he complained. "Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us…" The voices had stopped, and Liza held her breath, hoping that they hadn't heard Scabbers. But then they heard the unmistakable thud of an axe being swung down. Hermione let out a gasp.

"They did it!" she murmured faintly. "I d—don't believe it—they did it!" The four of them stood still, unable to move. Then they could hear a low pitched wailing coming from behind them.

"Hagrid," Harry muttered. He was about to turn around, but Hermione and Liza grabbed him

"We can't," Liza said firmly. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him…"

"How—could—they?" Hermione stuttered. "How _could_ they?"

"Come on," Ron urged, and they started walking again. A few minutes later, Ron started whispering, "Scabbers, keep still. What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still—OUCH!" he exclaimed rather loudly. "He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione shushed him. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute…"

"What's the _matter_ with him?" Ron said, battling difficultly with the rat. Harry let out a breath, and Liza looked at him in confusion.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. Liza looked forward to where Harry was looking and spotted the cat creeping towards them through the grass. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"

"Scabbers—NO!" Ron said, but Scabbers had finally wriggled free from Ron's hands. Scabbers began running away from them, and Crookshanks was quick to chase the rat. Ron let out a shout and ran out from under the Cloak, rushing after his rat.

"_Ron_!" Liza cried. She and Hermione tore after Ron, leaving Harry to follow, dragging the Cloak with him.

"Get away from him!" Ron was shouting at Crookshanks ahead of them. "Get away—Scabbers, come _here_…" Then there was a thud. "_Gotcha_! Get off, you stinking cat…" Liza and Hermione almost ran into him, having trouble seeing in the growing dark. Harry was right behind them. They all looked down to see Ron lying on the ground, his hands clamped over the lump in his pocket.

"Ron—come on," Hermione said, slightly out of breath. "Back under the Cloak—Dumbledore—the Minister—they'll be coming back out any minute…" But there was a sound nearby that worried them even more; the sound of large paws walking towards them. They turned to see a large black dog prowling near them. When they saw it, it sprung towards Harry and knocked him over. Then it wheeled around, ready to pounce again. Ron jumped up and hurried in front of Harry. The dog lunged and grabbed Ron by the arm. Harry tried to pull the dog off Ron, but the dog was dragging Ron away.

Suddenly, Harry was flung backwards. Then Hermione fell back, as well, and then Liza felt something striking her hard across the face.

"_Lumos_," Harry whispered, his wand out. Liza struggled to her feet and pulled Hermione up. Harry aimed his wand light ahead of them, and they realized that they were standing by the Whomping Willow. The dog was pulling Ron towards the base of the tree and down into a gap between the trunk and the ground. Ron disappeared down the hole in the ground.

"Ron!" Harry shouted, trying to run forward again, but the Whomping Willow swung its branches threateningly, causing Harry to stop short.

"Harry," Hermione said. "We've got to go for help."

"No!" Harry shouted. "That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time…"

"Harry—we're never going to get through without help," Liza said.

"If that dog can get in, we can, too," Harry replied, trying to find a gap in the tree's flying branches. Then Crookshanks darted forward underneath the branches and came to a halt at the trunk. He touched a knot at the base of the tree with his paw, and the tree froze.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed. "How did he know…?"

"He's friends with that dog," Harry replied. "I've seen them together. Come on—and keep your wand out." Liza and Hermione took their wands out, and the three of them proceeded cautiously to the hole that Ron had disappeared down. Crookshanks then slipped down the hole, and the other three paused. Harry went first, sliding head first into the hole. Hermione followed hesitantly, and Liza brought up the rear. They were in a small tunnel.

"Where's Ron?" Hermione asked.

"This way," Harry replied, waving at the girls to follow him. He was following Crookshanks.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Liza asked.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it… It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade…" They set off down the tunnel. It took roughly fifteen minutes before the tunnel began to slope upwards, and they could see light coming from the other side. Harry, Hermione, and Liza lifted their wands as they crept forward. Harry and Hermione pulled themselves through the hole in the tunnel, and Liza followed.

They were in a dusty room, full of broken furniture and cobwebs. The windows had been boarded up. There was an open door that led into a dark hallway.

"I think we're in the Shrieking Shack," Hermione whispered nervously. Harry eyed one of the chairs in the room, whose legs had been ripped to pieces.

"Ghosts didn't do that," he murmured. Then they heard movement coming from upstairs. Harry looked at the girls and nodded before setting off for the hallway. He led the way up the stairs, and when they reached the top floor, he quickly put his wand out. There was a door ahead of them that was open, and they could hear faint moaning from inside the room. They tiptoed forward and entered the room.

There was a large bed, and Crookshanks was lying in the middle of it. On the floor next to the bed sat Ron, his leg bent at an odd angle, grimacing in pain. Harry, Hermione, and Liza hurried to their friend.

"Ron—are you okay?" Hermione asked.

"What happened?" Liza asked.

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked.

"Not a dog," Ron replied, breathing harshly. "Harry, it's a trap…"

"What?" Harry asked.

"_He's the dog…_" Ron replied. "_He's an Animagus_…" He was looking at something behind Harry. Harry, Hermione, and Liza turned around to see a man standing by the doorway. He pushed the door shut and stepped out into the light. He was grinning, and Liza immediately knew who he was.

_Sirius Black._

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: I'm reorganizing some of my next chapters & their content, so please bear with me if a chapter ends up being a bit short or a bit long. As of right now, there are 4 planned chapters left!**_


	13. Chapter 13 Moony

_**A/N: So I read some the reviews last night when I posted the last chapter. Reading reviews makes me really nervous, but I'm glad that some people are enjoying the story! I hope you continue to read/continue to like it!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 13 – Moony**

"_Expelliarmus_!" Black said, pointing Ron's wand at the three newcomers. Harry's, Hermione's, and Liza's wands flew out of their hands, and Black caught them easily. Then he slowly advanced on them.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful…it will make everything much easier…" Harry made to run forward towards Black, but Liza and Hermione grabbed his arms and held him back.

"No, Harry!" Hermione cried.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron yelled, attempting to stand.

"Lie down," Black said. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron asked, ignoring the man. "You'll have to kill all four of us!" Liza put her hand on Ron's arm and forced him to sit down.

"There'll only be one murder here tonight," Black replied, grinning to himself.

"Why's that?" Harry asked harshly. He was struggling to break free of Liza and Hermione's hold. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew… What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" Hermione hissed. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared and managed to pull away from the girls. He jumped at Black, who looked shocked, and punched him in the side of the head. The two fell over, the wands Black held in his hand sending jets of light across the room. Hermione and Liza screamed as Harry punched Black repeatedly. But Black grabbed Harry by his throat and pushed him away.

Hermione ran forward and kicked Black in the side, loosening his hold on Harry. Ron had gotten up again, and he grabbed Black's arm and freed the wands he was holding. Liza dove after the first wand she saw, but Crookshanks leapt onto her arm and sunk her claws in. She yelped and shook the cat off, then kicked at him so he jumped away.

"Harry!" she shouted. Harry looked up and Liza kicked his wand to him. Harry snatched it up, turned, and bellowed, "Get out of the way!" to Ron and Hermione. They sprang away, Hermione picking up the other three wands and Ron collapsing on the floor beside the bed. Liza hurried over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asked. Ron nodded once, then winced as he adjusted his broken leg.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" Black said from where he sat against the opposite wall. Harry was walking towards him, his wand aimed at his chest.

"You killed my parents," Harry repeated, breathing hard.

"I don't deny it," Black said, and Liza gasped. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry scoffed. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

"You've got to listen to me," Black said. He glanced at Liza, and she knew in that moment that he knew who she was. He looked back at Harry and added, "You'll regret it if you don't… You don't understand…"

"I understand a lot better than you think," Harry snarled. "You never heard her, did you? My mum…trying to stop Voldemort killing me..and you did that…you did it…" There was a scuffle of paws across the floor, and Crookshanks interrupted by jumping up and lightly landing on Black's chest.

"Get off," Black said to the cat, but he wouldn't budge. Harry slowly raised his wand, but he froze, seeming unable to do anything but point his wand at Black. Then they all heard a sound coming from below them.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione shouted. "WE'RE UP HERE—SIRIUS BLACK—_QUICK_!" Black jerked in surprise, and they heard footsteps running up the stairs. Professor Lupin appeared in the doorway of the room, looking surprised at the situation he had walked in on.

"_Expelliarmus_!" he said, waving his wand. Harry's wand shot out of his hand, along with the three in Hermione's, and Lupin caught them all. Lupin entered the room, and Liza grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her back to stand next to herself and Ron.

"Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin asked quietly. Sirius raised his arm and pointed towards Ron. Liza took an instinctive step in front of Ron, shielding him.

"But then…" Lupin began, looking only at Black, "…why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless—unless _he_ was the one…unless you switched…without telling me?" Black nodded slowly.

"Professor, what's going on…?" Harry asked, sounding very confused. Lupin ignored him, strode over to Black, and offered his hand to him. He hauled Black to his feet and pulled him into a hug. Harry looked over at Liza and Ron, lost for words.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione cried. Lupin looked around at her, and she pointed at him. "You—you…"

"Hermione," Lupin started, but Hermione shook her head violently.

"You and him!" she gasped.

"Hermione, calm down," Lupin said.

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shouted. "I've been covering up for you…"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin cut in. "I can explain…"

"I trusted you!" Harry yelled. "And all this time, you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong," Lupin replied. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now—Let me explain…"

"NO!" Hermione interrupted. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too—_he's a werewolf_!" There was silence, and everyone looked at Lupin

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead… But I won't deny that I am a werewolf." Behind Liza, Ron tried to stand but fell back down with a painful moan. Liza turned worriedly to him, and Lupin also stepped towards him.

"_Get away from me, werewolf_!" Ron said.

"Ron, stop it," Liza said. "And stop moving, you're going to hurt your leg more."

"How long have you known?" Lupin asked Hermione.

"Ages," Hermione replied. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay…"

"He'll be delighted," Lupin said dryly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant… And you, Liza?" Lupin asked. Liza's eyes widened.

"Hermione told me a few months ago that she was suspicious about you," she answered. Lupin nodded, turning back to Hermione.

"Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon?" Lupin asked. "Or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both," Hermione whispered.

"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione," Lupin said with a small smile.

"I'm not," Hermione replied. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," Lupin said. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron spoke up from the bed. "Is he mad?"

"Stop it, Ron," Liza repeated.

"It's okay, Liza," Lupin said. "Some of the staff thought Dumbledore was mad. He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy…"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry shouted. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"

"SHUT UP!" Liza shouted. "He's said twice now that he wasn't helping Black, now hear him out!" Harry frowned at Liza, confused as to why she was defending a werewolf.

"I have _not_ been helping Sirius," Lupin said. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look…" He tossed each of the Gryffindor third years their wands back and they caught them. "There," Lupin said. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

"If you haven't been helping him," Harry said, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," Lupin replied. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it…"

"You know how to work it?" Harry gasped.

"Of course I know how to work it," Lupin replied. "I helped write it. I'm Moony—that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You _wrote_…?" Harry stammered, dumbfounded.

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening because I had an idea that you, Ron, Hermione, and Liza might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed," Lupin started. "And I was right, wasn't I?" He began to pace the floor. "You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry…"

"How d'you know about the cloak?" Harry interrupted.

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it…" Lupin replied. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" Harry said, sounding confused. "No, we weren't!" Liza eyes widened; but they _had_ been joined by someone: Scabbers.

"I couldn't believe my eyes," Lupin continued. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" Harry insisted.

"Scabbers was with us," Liza said. "Does the map show animals?"

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled _Sirius Black_… I saw him collide with you," Lupin said. "I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow…"

"One of us!" Ron replied.

"No, Ron," Lupin said. "Two of you."

"Scabbers," Liza repeated. Lupin nodded.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he asked Ron.

"What?" Ron said. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," Lupin replied. "Could I see him please?" Ron shook his head fearfully.

"Ron, give him the rat," Liza said. Ron glared at her, but took Scabbers out of his pocket. Scabbers tried to escape, but Ron held him tightly. Lupin walked closer and bent down, examining Scabbers.

"What?" Ron asked. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," Black spoke up.

"What d'you mean—of course he's a rat…" Ron stuttered.

"No, he's not," Lupin said. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," Black added, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

There was silence for a moment or two.

"You're both mental," Ron whispered.

"Ridiculous!" Hermione piped up.

"Peter Pettigrew's _dead_!" Harry said. "_He_ killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black.

"I meant to," Black said, "but little Peter got the better of me…not this time, though!" He lunged forward, falling onto Ron as he tried to wrench the rat from his hands.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin shouted, grabbing his friend and pulling him back. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that—they need to understand—we've got to explain…"

"We can explain afterwards!" Black cried.

"They've—got—a—right—to—know—everything!" Lupin yelled, struggling to keep Black away from Ron. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! And Harry—you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!" Black finally stopped moving.

"All right, then," Black said. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"

"You're nutters, both of you," Ron said. "I've had enough of this. I'm off." He tried to stand up, but Liza put her hand on his arm.

"Stay put, Ron," she murmured.

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," Lupin said, raising his wand and pointing it at the rat in Ron's hand. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron shouted.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," Harry said to Lupin. "A whole street full of them…"

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Black growled.

"Everyone though Sirius killed Peter," Lupin said. "I believed it myself—until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies… Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry." Harry exchanged a look with Ron, and Liza knew they both were unconvinced.

"But Professor Lupin," Hermione said, "Scabbers can't be Pettigrew…it just can't be true, you know it can't…"

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin asked.

"Because…" Hermione said, "because people would _know_ if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework—the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things…and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi in this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list…"

"Just because you're supposed to register with the Ministry if you're an Animagus doesn't mean that everyone will," Liza countered. "Pettigrew may have never registered with the Ministry…" Lupin laughed.

"You're certainly correct, Hermione," he said. "Animagi are supposed to register with the Ministry. But Liza has the right idea; in fact, the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Black muttered. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right…" Lupin sighed. "But you'll need to help me, Sirius. I only know how it began…" Suddenly, the door to the room they were in swung open. Lupin hurried over to it and looked out onto the landing.

"No one there…" he reported.

"This place is haunted!" Ron said.

"It's not," Lupin replied. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted… The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me." He paused before looking back at the group. "That's where all of this starts—with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten…and if I hadn't been so foolhardy." Ron made to interrupt, but both Liza and Hermione shushed him.

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite," Lupin began. "My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform… I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.

"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.

"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that was long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school…" Lupin broke off, sighing. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted _because_ I came to Hogwarts. This house, the tunnel that leads to it—they were built for me use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was planted at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

Everyone hung onto Lupin's every word…everyone except Black, who wouldn't take his eyes off of the rat in Ron's hand.

"My transformation in those days were—were terrible," Lupin continued. "It was very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor… Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it…

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black… Peter Pettigrew…and, of course, your father, Harry—James Potter." Lupin glanced over at Liza.

"Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month," Lupin said, with a small smile. "I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her… I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth…

"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, indeed," Lupin confirmed. "IT took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong—one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."

"But how did that help you?" Hermione asked.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," Lupin replied. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. The transformed…Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."

"Hurry up, Remus," Black snapped.

"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there…" Lupin said, waving his hand dismissively at Black. "Well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts student ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did… And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot, Peter is Wormtail, James was Prongs."

"What sort of animal…?" Harry started to ask, but Hermione interrupted.

"That was still really dangerous!" she said. "Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"

"A thought that still haunts me," Lupin said, nodding. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless—carried away with our own cleverness… I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course…he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had le three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed…

"All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. IT would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me…and Dumbledore trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using Dark Arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it…so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."

"Snape?" Black said, finally looking away from the rat. "What's Snape got to do with it?"

"He's here, Sirius," Lupin replied. "HE's teaching here as well." He looked over at the third year students. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons…you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me…"

"It served him right," Black interrupted loftily. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to…hoping he could get us expelled…"

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month," Lupin explained. "We were in the same year, you know, and we—er—didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field…anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me towards the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be—er—amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it—if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf—but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life… Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was…"

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Harry said, "because you thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," a new voice said. Snape appeared from beside the bedroom door, pulling off Harry's Invisibility Cloak, with his wand pointed at Lupin's chest.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: There are 3 more chapters planned! The next one may be a bit longer, and if it gets too long, I'll end up splitting it into 2. So there may be 4 more chapters. We'll see!**_


	14. Chapter 14 Wormtail

_**A/N: I wasn't sure how long this chapter was going to be, and it ended up being just fine. So I didn't need to split it up anywhere!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 14 – Wormtail**

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape said as he lazily tossed the Invisibility Cloak aside. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you…" He paused, clearly please with what he had found. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did…lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus," Lupin said, but Snape cut him off.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin," Snape continued, "and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout…"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin said. "You haven't heard everything—I can explain—Sirius is not here to kill Harry…"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," Snape said, not listening to what Lupin had to say. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this… He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin…a _tame_ werewolf…"

"You fool," Lupin said with a shake of his head. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?" Snape waved his wand and cords burst from the end. They wrapped themselves around Lupin, who fell over and was unable to move or speak. Black rushed at Snape, but stopped short when Snape turned his wand to Black.

"Give me a reason," Snape hissed. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will." Black didn't say anything but glared at Snape. Harry looked around to his friends, confused as to what he should do.

"Professor Snape," Hermione spoke up timidly. "It—it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w—would it?"

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape snarled. "You, Potter, Weasley, and Jones are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, _hold your tongue_."

"But if—if there was a mistake…" Hermione tried again.

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape yelled. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

"Don't yell at her!" Liza snapped. "Obviously _you_ don't understand what's going on here because you're so scared to let Professor Lupin tell you the truth!"

"Be quiet!" Snape shouted. "This has nothing to do with any of you!"

"It has everything to do with Harry!" Liza replied. "This man was imprisoned, possibly wrongly, for betraying Harry's parents and giving them over to You-Know-Who! We want to hear what they have to say!"

"SHUT UP!" Snape thundered, looking angrier than Liza had ever seen him. Shaking, he turned back to Black. "Vengeance is very sweet," he said, trying to calm himself. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you…"

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Black replied. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly…"

"Up to the castle?" Snape said. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black…pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay…"

"NO!" Liza and Harry shouted, and Snape glared menacingly at them.

"You—you've got to hear me out," Black said, looking scared for the first time that night. "The rat—look at the rat…"

"Come on, all of you," Snape said, a twisted grin forming on his lips. He snapped his fingers, and the ends of the cords wrapped around Lupin sprang into his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too…"

"You can't…!" Liza gasped, and Harry hurried to the door to block it.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," Snape said. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin…"

"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry said. "I've been alone with him loads of times having defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," Snape sneered.

"His mind works just like any other human's does!" Liza spat. "He's a human every other day but on the full moon!"

"Be quiet, girl," Snape said. "Get out of the way, Potter."

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry shouted. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN…!"

"SILENCE!" Snape screamed. "I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT! Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black—now get out of the way, or I will _make you_. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!" Liza pulled out her wand and pointed it at Snape.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Liza cried. She heard three other voices echo the same spell, and four jets of light hit Snape in the chest. He was blasted off his feet, and he slammed into the wall, which knocked him unconscious. Liza looked at Harry, who was breathing heavily. Then she looked at Ron and Hermione, who had also tried to disarm the Potions master at the same time as her.

"You shouldn't have done that," Black said, his eyes wide. "You should have left him to me…"

"Well, no offense, but what were you going to do?" Liza asked. "You were unarmed."

"We attacked a teacher," Hermione murmured, looking horrified. "We attacked a teacher… Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble…" Liza hurried over and put an arm around her. Black bent over and untied the cords that were still around Lupin. Lupin sat up, sighing.

"Thank you, Harry," he said.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry replied.

"Then it's time we offered you some proof," Lupin said. He held his hand out to Ron. "You, boy—give me Peter, please. Now."

"Come off it," Ron said, unwilling to give up the rat. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on _Scabbers_? I mean…" Ron trailed off, looking at his friends desperately. "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat—there are millions of rats—how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," Lupin said, dropping his hand and turning to Black. "How _did_ you find out where he was?" Black pulled a page of newspaper out of his robes and showed it to them. It was the picture of the Weasley family, including Scabbers sitting on Ron's shoulder.

"How did you get this?" Lupin asked.

"Fudge," Black answered. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page…on this boy's shoulder… I knew him at once…how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts…to where Harry was…"

"My God," Lupin said, examining the photo closely. "His front paw…"

"What about it?" Ron asked.

"He's got a toe missing," Black said, nodding.

"Of course," Lupin murmured. "So simple…so _brilliant_…he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," Black confirmed. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself—and sped down into the sewer with the other rats…"

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" Lupin asked. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something!" Ron insisted. "He's been in my family for ages, right…"

"Twelve years, in fact," Lupin said. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We—we've been taking good care of him!" Ron answered.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" Lupin said. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again…"

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" Ron exclaimed.

"He was looking sick before Hermione got Crookshanks, though," Liza said thoughtfully. "That's why we went to the pet store in the first place, to get him some medicine, and that's where we met Crookshanks."

"This cat isn't mad," Black said. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me… Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me…"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't," Black answered. "So he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me… As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table… But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it… This cat—Crookshanks, did you call him?—told me Peter had left blood on the sheet… I supposed he bit himself… Well, faking his own death had worked once…"

"And why did he fake his death?" Harry cut in angrily. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"

"No," Lupin said, "Harry…"

"And now you've come to finish him off!" Harry shouted above Lupin.

"Yes, I have," Black replied.

"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry yelled.

"Harry," Liza said.

"Harry, don't you see?" Lupin said. "All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down—but it was the other way around, don't you see? _Peter_ betrayed your mother and father—Sirius tracked _Peter_ down…"

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry bellowed. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP! HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"

"No, he didn't, Harry," Liza said firmly.

"I as good as killed them," Black whispered, shaking his head sorrowfully. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me… I'm to blame, I know it… The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies…I realized what Peter must've done…what I'd done…"

"Enough of this," Lupin said firmly. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, _give me that rat_."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked.

"Force him to show himself," Lupin replied. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him." Ron hesitated.

"For Merlin's sake, give him the rat, Ron," Liza said. Ron finally held the rat out, and Lupin took him.

"Ready, Sirius?" Lupin asked. Black had picked up Snape's wand.

"Together?" Black said.

"I think so," Lupin answered. "On the count of three. One—two—THREE!" The two men pointed their wands at the rat, and there was a bright light. The rat fell to the floor, wriggling, and then there was another bright light. Then Scabbers the rat was gone; in his place, a small man was now standing. Liza heard Ron gasp in surprise.

"Why, hello, Peter," Lupin said. "Long time, no see."

"S—Sirius…R—Remus…" Pettigrew said. "My friends…my old friends…" Black pointed Snape's wand at the man, but Lupin stopped him.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died," Lupin continued. "You might have missed the finger points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed…"

"Remus," Pettigrew said in a desperate voice, "you don't believe him, do you…? He tried to kill me, Remus…"

"So we've heard," Lupin said. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so…"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew interrupted, pointing at Black. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too… You've got to help me, Remus…"

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," Lupin said.

"Sorted things out?" Pettigrew asked. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Lupin said, looking suspiciously at Pettigrew. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew announced. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!" Black let out a loud laugh.

"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said. Pettigrew winced. "What, scared to hear your old master's name? I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius…" Pettigrew said, trembling.

"You haven't been hiding from _me_ for twelve years," Black said. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter… They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them… I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information…and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways… If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter…"

"Don't know…what you're talking about…" Pettigrew stammered. He looked at Lupin. "You don't believe this—this madness, Remus…"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," Lupin replied.

"Innocent, but scared!" Pettigrew said. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban—the spy, Sirius Black!"

"How dare you," Black snarled. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter—I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who's look after you, didn't you? It used to be us…me and Remus…and James…"

"Me, a spy…" Pettigrew muttered. "Must be out of your mind…never…don't know how you can say such a…"

"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black said. "I thought it was the perfect plan…a bluff… Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you… It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters." Pettigrew was muttering under his breath, but Liza couldn't hear anything he was saying.

"Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked. "Can—can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione," Lupin replied.

"Well—Scabbers—I mean, this—this man," Hermione started, "he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!" Pettigrew said. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why," Black growled. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him…" Pettigrew was rendered speechless.

"Er—Mr. Black—Sirius?" Liza said, unsure of how to address him. _Or maybe I should call him 'Godfather'_, she thought dryly to herself. Black turned to look at her, gazing at her intensely. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?" Liza asked.

"Thank you!" Pettigrew said. "Exactly! Precisely what I…"

"I wasn't talking to _you_," Liza snapped, glaring at him. Pettigrew, looking surprise and scared, shut his mouth.

"I don't know how I did it," Black replied, furrowing his brow. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me…but it kept me sane and knowing who I am…helped me keep my powers…so when it all became…too much…I could transform in my cell…become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know… They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions… They could tell that my feelings were less—less human, less complex when I was a dog…but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand…

"But then I saw Peter in that picture…" Black's voice grew stronger. "I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry…perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again…red to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies…and to deliver the last Potter to them." Black paused, giving Liza a private smile, knowing that Harry wasn't the last Potter. Then he continued, "If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors… So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive…

"It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the dementors could destroy it… It wasn't a happy feeling…it was an obsession…but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog… It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused… I was thin, very thin…thin enough to slip through the bars… I swam as a dog back to the mainland… I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry…" He looked at Harry. "Believe me. Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them." Harry stared at Black for a moment, before nodding slowly. Black glanced at Liza, who gave him a single nod as well.

"No!" Pettigrew cried, throwing himself onto the ground. "Sirius—it's me…it's Peter…your friend…you wouldn't…" He crawled forward, reaching out to Black, who aimed a kick at his hands.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," Black snarled.

"Remus!" Pettigrew exclaimed, turning to Lupin. "You don't believe this…wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin replied. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"

"Forgive me, Remus," Black said.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," Lupin said. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing _you_ were the spy?"

"Of course," Black replied. He rolled the sleeves of his robe up. "Shall we kill him together?"

"Yes, I think so," Lupin said, frowning.

"You wouldn't…you won't…" Pettigrew stuttered. He crawled towards Ron. "Ron…haven't I been a good friend…a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you…you're on my side, aren't you?"

"I let you sleep in my _bed_!" Ron said, looking disgusted.

"Kind boy…kind master…" Pettigrew continued, still begging at Ron's feet, "you won't let them do it… I was your rat… I was a good pet…"

"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Black said. Ron painfully pulled his broken leg away from Pettigrew, who changed courses and grabbed at Liza and Hermione's robes.

"Sweet girls…clever girls…you—you won't let them… Help me…" he begged. Hermione and Liza pulled their robes away from him. Hermione backed away from him, terrified, while Liza glared down at him.

"Liza…" Lupin said, but Liza shook her head, not saying anything, even though she wanted to. Pettigrew turned his attention to Harry.

"Harry…Harry…" he said. "You look just like your father…just like him…"

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" Black burst out. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"

"Harry," Pettigrew said. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed… James would have understood, Harry…he would have shown me mercy…" Black and Lupin grabbed Pettigrew by his arms and wrenched him back away from Harry. Liza hurried over to join her friend, who was standing paralyzed in front of the bedroom door.

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Black said. "Do you deny it?" Pettigrew began to wail.

"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done?" he cried. "The Dark Lord…you have no idea…he has weapons you can't imagine… I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me…"

"DON'T LIE!" Black yelled. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"

"He—he was taking over everywhere! "Pettigrew insisted. "Wh—what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" Black said angrily. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" Pettigrew sobbed. "How would have killed me, Sirius!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Black thundered. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" He and Lupin stood next to each other, raising their wands.

"You should have realized," Lupin said, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

"NO!" Harry and Liza yelled at the same time.

"You can't kill him," Harry said. "You can't."

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Black said. He glanced at Liza quickly. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

"You need him to confess," Liza told Black. "If you don't have his testimony, you won't be able to clear your name." Harry nodded.

"We'll take him up to the castle," he said. "We'll hand him over to the dementors… He can go to Azkaban…but don't kill him."

"Harry!" Pettigrew whispered, crawling forward to hug Harry's knees. "You—thank you—it's more than I deserve…"

"Damn right it is," Liza muttered.

"Get off me," Harry snapped, stepping back. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because—I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers—just for you." Black and Lupin looked at each other, then lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," Black said. "But think…think what he did…"

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry reasoned. "If anyone deserves that place, he does…"

"Very well," Lupin said. "Stand aside, Harry." Harry gave Lupin a look, and Lupin added, "I'm going to tie him up. That's all, I swear." Harry moved, and Lupin produced some cords from his wand. He tied up and gagged Pettigrew.

"But if you transform, Peter," Black warned, "we _will_ kill you. You agree, Harry?" As Harry was looking at Pettigrew, Black shot Liza a questioning look, as well. Liza gave a very slight nod, as Harry nodded in confirmation, as well.

"Right," Lupin said. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing." He walked over, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and said, "_Ferula_." Bandages wrapped themselves around Ron's leg, along with a splint. Then Lupin offered Ron his hand, and Ron accepted, pulling himself to his feet. He put some weight on his injured leg.

"That's better," he reported. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Snape?" Hermione asked.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," Lupin replied, quickly checking Snape for a pulse. "You were just a little—overenthusiastic. Still out cold. Er—perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this… _Mobilicorpus_." Snape's body hovered into the air, his feet a few inches from the ground. Lupin then stuffed Harry's Invisibility Cloak into his robe pocket.

"And two of us should be chained to this," Black said, looking down on Pettigrew. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," Lupin said.

"And me," Ron volunteered, walking gingerly forward. Black waved his wand, and Pettigrew was chained in between Ron and Lupin.

"Let's go," Lupin said. Crookshanks hopped up and led the way back to the tunnel under the Whomping Willow. Ron, Lupin, and Pettigrew followed slowly. Black went next, levitating Snape ahead of him. Harry, Hermione, and Liza were the last in their line.

"You know what this means?" Black suddenly said when they were making their way through the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," Harry said.

"Yes…" Black said. "But I'm also—I don't know if anyone ever told you—I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," Harry said.

"Well…your parents appointed me your guardian," Black said. "If anything happened to them… I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," he added hurriedly. "But…well…think about it. Once my name's cleared…if you wanted a…a different home…"

"What—live with you?" Harry asked. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Black said. "I understand, I just thought I'd…"

"Are you insane?" Harry interrupted, sounding excited. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?" Black turned around to look at Harry.

"You want to?" he asked. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry exclaimed. Black smiled. Then his eyes slid over to Liza, looking apologetic, but Liza didn't care. Harry needed a godfather more than she did.

They finally reached the hole at the base of the Willow. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron disappeared up the hole. Sirius sent Snape up next, then ushered Harry and Hermione ahead, but he stopped Liza.

"Elizabeth," he said. "You look so much like your parents. I wasn't sure if I was ever going to see you again. The last time was on your first birthday. I'm assuming you're trying to keep it secret from Harry?"

"Yes," Liza answered. "Dumbledore asked me to keep it to myself. You can call me Liza, if you want."

"I'm sorry I can't offer you the same thing as Harry," Black said. "But if we're supposed to keep this a secret, it's better if I don't invite you to stay…"

"I completely understand," Liza said. "Harry needs you more than I do. His aunt and uncle are horrible to him, while I've got the Weasleys and my adoptive parents looking out for me."

"I'm glad you're not upset," Black said, smiling. "Someday, when we can tell Harry the truth, we'll be able to spend more time together. Now, go on, they're probably wondering what happened to us." Liza smiled and scrambled up the hole. Black joined the group last, and they all began the walk back to the castle.

There was a breeze, and then a cloud moved. They were bathed in moonlight. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron had stopped suddenly. Black stopped, too, and motioned for Harry, Hermione, and Liza to freeze.

"Oh, my…" Hermione gasped. She pointed at Lupin. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Black hissed to them. "Run. Now."

"But what about Ron?" Liza asked. Harry attempted to run forward, but Black stopped him.

"Leave it to me," Black said. "RUN!" Black had let Snape fall to the grass. Hermione and Liza took a few steps back, but Harry was rooted to the spot.

They watched as Lupin began his transformation into the werewolf. Hair sprouted all over his body, and his hands turned into paws. Black ran forward, but he was no longer a man. He had transformed into the giant dog. As Lupin, now a wolf, pulled himself out of his chains, Black grabbed him around his neck and pulled him away from Ron and Pettigrew.

Hermione screamed, and Liza pulled her wand out. Pettigrew had dived onto the ground, scooping up Lupin's wand. Ron, unbalanced, fell onto the grass. Pettigrew turned the stolen wand on Ron and sent a spell at him. Then Pettigrew aimed a spell at Crookshanks, who flew into the air and then collapsed to the ground.

"Ron!" Liza cried.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Harry shouted, and the wand in Pettigrew's hand went flying. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running towards Pettigrew, but it was too late. The man immediately transformed and disappeared from sight.

"Ron!" Liza shouted, running to him and falling on her knees next to him. "Ron, can you hear me? Wake up!" But Ron wasn't moving. Hermione knelt down next to them and checked for his pulse.

"He's okay," she said. "Just unconscious."

"Sirius!" Harry yelled. Liza and Hermione turned to see Lupin running off into the forest, while Black hung back. "He's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Black wheeled around and bolted off across the grounds, attempting to find Pettigrew again.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," Harry said after a few moments of silence. Hermione and Liza had just nodded their agreement when they could hear a dog whining somewhere nearby.

"Sirius," Harry muttered. He looked off at where the whining was coming from for a moment, then he sprinted away. Hermione and Liza scrambled after him.

The reached t he shore of the lake when they found Black. He had turned back into a man, and he was cowering on his knees.

"_Nooo_," he groaned. "_Nooo…please_…" Hermione grabbed Liza's arm, and Liza looked up to see about one hundred dementors, gliding towards them from across the lake.

"Hermione, Liza, think of something happy!" Harry shouted. _Something happ_y? Liza thought, bewildered. She watched as Harry pulled his wand out and started yelling, "_Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!_" Liza and Hermione took their wands out, uncertain at what they were doing.

"Hermione, Liza, help me!" Harry cried. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

"_Expecto_…" Hermione whispered beside Liza. An odd fog was forming in Liza's head. Her vision was narrowing, and she knew that the dementors were sucking all the happiness from her. Harry continued to bellow the spell, and the last thing Liza remember as she collapsed was Harry standing in front of her and Hermione, trying to fend off the army of dementors.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: 2 chapters to go!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N: Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 15 – Hermione's Turn to Save the Day**

Liza stirred, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself indoors. She was on a bed. She looked around, and it took her a few moments to realize that she must have been in the hospital wing. Turning on her side, she saw Hermione lying in the bed next to hers.

Hermione was waking up as well. She opened her eyes, looking directly at Liza. Liza was about to say something when they heard a voice from outside the hospital wing.

"Shocking business…" the voice said. "Shocking…miracle none of them died…never heard the like…by thunder, it was lucky you were there, Snape…"

"Thank you, Minister," Snape's voice replied.

"Order of Merlin, Second Class, I'd say," Fudge continued. "First Class, if I can wrangle it!"

"Thank you very much indeed, Minister," Snape said.

"Nasty cut you've got there," Fudge said. "Black's work, I suppose?"

"As a matter of fact, it was Potter, Weasley, Granger, and Jones, Minister…" Snape answered.

"_No_!" Fudge exclaimed.

"Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately," Snape explained. "A Confundus Charm, to judge by their behavior. They seemed to think there was a possibility he was innocent. They weren't responsible for their actions. On the other hand, their interference might have permitted Black to escape… They obviously thought they were going to catch Black single handed. They've got away with a great deal before now… I'm afraid it's given them a rather high opinion of themselves…and of course Potter has always been allowed an extraordinary amount of license by the headmaster…"

"Ah, well, Snape…Harry Potter, you know…we've all got a bit of a blind spot where he's concerned," Fudge said.

"And yet—is it good for him to be given so much special treatment?" Snape continued. "Personally, I try and treat him like any other student." _Ha_, Liza thought to herself. "And any other student would be suspended –at the very least—for leading his friends into such danger. Consider, Minister—against all school rules—after all the precautions put in place for his protection—out-of-bounds, at night, consorting with a werewolf and a murderer—and I have reason to believe he has been visiting Hogsmeade illegally too…"

"Well, well…we shall see, Snape, we shall see," Fudge said. "The boy has been undoubtedly foolish…" It took Liza a lot of willpower to stay in bed. "What amazes me most," Fudge went on, "is the behavior of the dementors…you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape?"

"No, Minister…but the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances…"

"Extraordinary," Fudge said. "And yet Black, and Harry, and the girls…"

"All unconscious by the time I reached them," Snape reported. "I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle." Liza heard a rustling coming from the bed on the other side of Hermione. Then Madam Pomfrey came bustling down the beds towards them.

"Ah, you're awake!" she said as she put down the giant chunk of chocolate she was carrying.

"How's Ron?" Harry, Hermione, and Liza all asked.

"He'll live," Madam Pomfrey replied. "As for you three…you'll be staying here until I'm satisfied you're—Potter, what do you think you're doing?" Liza sat up to see Harry getting out of bed, putting his glasses on.

"I need to see the headmaster," Harry replied.

"Potter," Madam Pomfrey said, "it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the kiss any moment now…"

"WHAT?" Harry exclaimed.

"No!" Liza gasped. She, Harry, and Hermione had all jumped out of their beds. Fudge and Snape entered the hospital wing when they heard the noise.

"Harry, Harry, what's this?" Fudge asked. "You should be in bed—has he had any chocolate?"

"Minister, listen!" Harry said. "Sirius Black's innocent. Peter Pettigrew faked his own death! We saw him tonight! You can't let the dementors do t hat thing to Sirius, he's…" But Fudge interrupted him.

"Harry, Harry, you're very confused," he said, "you've been through a dreadful ordeal, lie back down, now, we've got everything under control…"

"YOU HAVEN'T!" Harry shouted. "YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!" Liza and Hermione hurried to stand next to Harry.

"Sirius didn't do it, it was Pettigrew!" Liza insisted.

"Minister, listen, please," Hermione said. "We saw him too. It was Ron's rat, he's an Animagus, Pettigrew, I mean, and…"

"You see, Minister?" Snape cut Hermione off. "Confunded, all three of them… Black's done a very good job on them…"

"WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED!" Harry bellowed.

"Listen to us, please!" Liza added.

"Minister! Professor!" Madam Pomfrey snapped. "I must insist that you leave. Potter, Jones, and Granger are my patients, and they should not be distressed!"

"I'm not distressed, I'm trying to tell them what happened!" Harry insisted. "If they'd just listen…" Madam Pomfrey pushed some chocolate into Harry's mouth, and then ushered him back into bed.

"Now, _please_, Minister, these children need care," Madam Pomfrey said. "Please leave…" The door to the hospital wing opened, and Professor Dumbledore entered.

"Professor!" Liza exclaimed.

"Professor Dumbledore, Sirius Black…!" Harry started.

"For heaven's sake!" Madam Pomfrey cried. "Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster, I must insist…"

"My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, and Miss Jones," Dumbledore said. "I have just been talking to Sirius Black…"

"I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind?" Snape scowled, rolling his eyes. "Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive…"

"That, indeed, is Black's story," Dumbledore answered.

"And does my evidence count for nothing?" Snape asked. "Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, nor did I see any sign of him on the grounds."

"That's because you were knocked out, Professor!" Hermione piped up. "You didn't arrive in time to hear…"

"Miss Granger, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!" Snape spat.

"She's tell the truth!" Liza shouted. "You were unconscious! Stop telling her to be quiet when she's telling you what actually happened!"

"And you, Miss Jones," Snape said, his eyes narrowing. "Keep quiet."

"Now, Snape," Fudge said with concern, "the young ladies are disturbed in their minds, we must make allowances…"

"I would Like to speak to Harry, Hermione, and Liza alone," Dumbledore cut in. "Cornelius, Severus, Poppy—please leave us."

"Headmaster!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "They need treatment, they need rest…"

"This cannot wait," Dumbledore said. "I must insist." Madam Pomfrey, looking very offended, turned and walked away to her office.

"The dementors should have arrived by now," Fudge said, checking his watch. "I'll go and meet them. Dumbledore, I'll see you upstairs." He went to the door and opened it, but paused, waiting for Snape.

"You surely don't believe a word of Black's story?" Snape hissed.

"I wish to speak to Harry, Hermione, and Liza alone," Dumbledore simply said.

"Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," Snape whispered. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill _me_?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," Dumbledore replied patiently. Snape glared at the headmaster for a moment longer before turning and striding from the room. Fudge followed him out, and the door closed behind them. Dumbledore turned to the three Gryffindors, and the three of them began to talk at once.

"Professor, Black's telling the truth," Hermione said.

"We _saw_ Pettigrew," Liza added.

"He escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf," Harry seethed.

"He's a rat," Hermione explained.

"Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off," Liza said.

"Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius," Harry said. Dumbledore held up his hand, and the three students fell silent.

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he began. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word—and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eyewitnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper."

"Professor Lupin can tell you…" Harry started to say.

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest," Dumbledore said, "unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little—and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends…"

"But…" Harry started, and Liza hissed, "_Harry_."

"_Listen to me, Harry_," Dumbledore said. "It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours." Liza nodded, but she was the only one who did.

"He hates Sirius," Hermione said. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him…

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man," Dumbledore explained. "The attack on the Fat Lady—entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife—without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no change of overturning Sirius's sentence."

"_But you believe us_," Liza said.

"Yes, I do," Dumbledore answered. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to overrule the Minister of Magic… What we need is more _time_." Dumbledore looked at Hermione expectantly.

"But…" she started, but something must have clicked in her brain, because her eyes went wide. "OH!"

"Now, pay attention," Dumbledore said. "Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, all of you: _you must not be seen_. Miss Granger, you know the law—you know what is at stake… _You—must—not—be—seen_." Dumbledore turned and went to the hospital wing door.

"I am going to lock you in," he told them. "It is—five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck."

"Good luck?" Harry echoed, looking at Hermione, confused. "Three turns? What's he talking about? What are we supposed to do?" Hermione wasn't paying attention to him; she had stuffed her hand down the front of her robes and, after a moment, pulled out a very long chain.

"Come here," she said to Harry and Liza. "_Quick_!" Harry and Liza moved to stand next to Hermione. "Here," she said, and she threw the chain over Harry's and Liza's necks. There was a small hourglass hanging from it.

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

"What are we doing?" Harry asked. But Hermione didn't answer him. Instead, she turned the hourglass three times. Then, suddenly, it felt as though they were moving, even though Liza was sure she was standing still. The hospital wing seemed to vanish. Colors blurred around them, and after a few moments, their surroundings came back into focus.

The three of them were standing in the Entrance Hall, and the sun was now out, even though it had been nighttime only a moment ago.

"Hermione, what…?" Harry tried to ask, but Hermione stopped him, grabbing Harry's and Liza's arms and pulling them across the hall and into a broom closet.

"In here!" she hissed, pushing them inside ahead of her. Then she closed the door behind them.

"What—how—Hermione, what happened?" Harry asked.

"Wait a minute…" Liza said. "Hermione, is this how you've been getting to all your classes this year?" Hermione nodded.

"We've gone back in time," she explained. She took the chain back from her two friends. "Three hours back…"

"But…" Harry said.

"Shh!" Hermione hushed him. "Listen! Someone's coming! I think—I think it might be us!"

"Us?" Liza asked, pressing her ear against the cupboard door like Hermione.

"Footsteps across the hall," Hermione said. "Yes, I think it's us going down to Hagrid's!"

"Are you telling me," Harry said, "that we're here in this cupboard and we're out there too?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I'm sure it's us. It doesn't sound like more than four people…and we're walking slowly because we're under the Invisibility Cloak…" She continued to listen. "We've gone down the front steps…" Then she sat down, thinking hard about what Dumbledore had told them to do.

"Where did you _get_ that hourglass thing?" Harry asked.

"It's called a Time-Turner," Hermione answered, "and I got it from Professor McGonagall on our first day back. I've been using it all year to get to all my lessons. Professor McGonagall made me swear I wouldn't tell anyone—sorry, Liza."

"It's okay," Liza said.

"She had to write all sorts of letters to the Ministry of Magic so I could have one," Hermione continued. "She had to tell them that I was a model student, and that I'd never, ever use it for anything except my studies… I've been turning it back so I could do hours over again, that's how I've been doing several lessons at once, see? But… _I don't understand what Dumbledore wants us to do_. Why did he tell us to go back three hours? How's that going to help Sirius?"

"There must be something that happened around now he wants us to change," Liza said. "What happened? We were walking down to Hagrid's three hours ago…"

"This _is_ three hours ago, and we _are_ walking down to Hagrid's," Hermione said. "We just heard ourselves leaving…" Liza looked at Harry, who was trying to process what they had to do.

"Dumbledore just said—just said we could save more than one innocent life…" he muttered. He jumped up, looking excited. "We're going to save Buckbeak!" he announced.

"But—how will that help Sirius?" Hermione asked, looking confused.

"Dumbledore said—he just told us where the window is—the window of Flitwick's office!" Harry exclaimed. "Where they've got Sirius locked up!" Then it dawned on Liza, too.

"We've got to fly Buckbeak up to the window and rescue Sirius!" she said. "Sirius can escape on Buckbeak—they can escape together!" Hermione's mouth had popped open.

"If we manage that without being seen," she said slowly, "it'll be a miracle!"

"Well, we've got to try, haven't we?" Harry asked. He stood up and listened at the closet door. "Doesn't sound like anyone's there… Come on, let's go…" Harry led the way across the Entrance Hall and out of the castle.

"If anyone's looking out of the window…" Hermione gasped, looking back at the castle.

"We'll run for it," Harry said. "Straight into the forest, all right? We'll have to hide behind a tree or something and keep a lookout…"

"Okay, but we'll go around by the greenhouses!" Hermione said. "We need to keep out of sight of Hagrid's front door, or we'll see us! We must be nearly at Hagrid's by now!" The three broke into a sprint across the grass towards the greenhouses. They paused behind the buildings, then took off again for the forest.

"Right…" Hermione said, breathing hard, when they regrouped. "We need to sneak over to Hagrid's… Keep out of sight…" So they started walking through the forest, and in a few minutes they had reached Hagrid's hut. They heard someone knocking on Hagrid's door, watched as Hagrid answered it, and then heard Harry talking to Hagrid.

"This is the weirdest thing we've ever done," Harry commented after Hagrid had closed his door again.

"Let's move along a bit," Hermione suggested. "We need to get nearer to Buckbeak!" They continued through the trees, moving slowly and keeping a tree between them and the windows of Hagrid's house. They stopped when they could see Buckbeak in Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

"Now?" Harry asked.

"No," Liza answered. "If we steal him now, those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free. We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside."

"That's going to give us about sixty seconds," Harry pointed out. Liza shrugged. They heard something break inside Hagrid's house.

"That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug," Hermione said. "I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment…" Liza exchanged a look with Harry.

"Hermione," Harry said, "what if we—we just run in there and grab Pettigrew…"

"No!" Hermione cried. "Don't you understand? We're breaking one of the most important wizarding laws! Nobody's supposed to change time, nobody! You heard Dumbledore, if we're seen…"

"We'd only be seen by ourselves and Hagrid!" Harry said.

"Harry, what do you think you'd do if you saw yourself bursting into Hagrid's house?" Liza asked.

"I'd—I'd think I'd gone mad," Harry replied, "or I'd think there was some Dark Magic going on…"

"_Exactly_!" Hermione exclaimed. "You wouldn't understand, you might even attack yourself! Don't you see? Professor McGonagall told me what awful things have happened when wizards have meddled with time… Loads of them ended up killing their past or future selves by mistake!"

"Okay!" Harry said, holding his hands up in defeat. "It was just an idea, I just thought…" Hermione shushed him and pointed to the castle. They could see Dumbledore leading the other Ministry men down the steps and onto the grounds.

"We're about to come out," Hermione said quietly. A moment later, Hagrid's back door opened, and they saw themselves exit the hut.

"It's okay, Beaky, it's okay," they heard Hagrid say. "Go on. Get goin'."

"Hagrid, we can't…"

"Please let us stay and talk to them…"

"We'll tell them what really happened…"

"They can't kill him…"

Liza had to admit, it was very weird hearing her voice coming from somewhere nearby.

"Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!" Liza saw Hermione throw the Invisibility Cloak over the rest of them, and Hagrid waving them away. Then they heard the knock on Hagrid's door.

"There we go," Liza murmured to Harry and Hermione, pointing out their footsteps in the grass.

"Where is the beast?" a voice from inside the cabin asked.

"Out—outside," Hagrid replied.

"We—er—have to read you the official notice of execution, Hagrid," Fudge said. "I'll make it quick. And then you and Macnair need to sign it. Macnair, you're supposed to listen too, that's procedure…"

"Wait here," Harry whispered to the girls. "I'll do it."

"No, you won't," Liza said. "I'll do it, Buckbeak knows me." She hurried out into the garden. Buckbeak watched as she began to untie the knot that was holding Buckbeak in place. When she had pulled it loose, she walked up to Buckbeak.

"Hey, buddy," she murmured. "Come on, we're going to get you out of here." Buckbeak let out a little squawk, and Liza started to lead him out of the pumpking patch. Buckbeak was moving very slowly.

"Come on, Buckbeak," she said soothingly. "This way."

"Liza, hurry!" Hermione whispered from the trees. Liza led Buckbeak away from the garden and into the forest. Then Hagrid's back door opened, and they heard footsteps going down the back steps.

"Where is it?" the voice of the old Ministry worker asked. "Where is the beast?"

"It was tied here!" the executioner said. "I saw it! Just here!"

"How extraordinary," Dumbledore said.

"Beaky!" Hagrid said, looking around in confusion. They heard the thud of an axe; the executioner had thrown his axe down in frustration. Hagrid began to sob, but this time they were close enough to hear what he was saying.

"Gone!" he wailed happily. "Gone! Bless his little beak, he's _gone_! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!" Buckbeak heard Hagrid, and tried to go back to him.

"Help!" Liza hissed to Harry and Hermione. They both grabbed the rope and helped hold the hippogriff in place.

"Someone untied him!" the executioner growled. "We should search the grounds, the forest…"

"Macnair, if Buckbeak had indeed been stolen, do you really think the thief will have led him away on foot?" Dumbledore asked. "Search the skies, if you will… Hagrid, I could do with a cup of tea. Or a large brandy."

"O'—o' course, Professor," Hagrid said, still crying tears of joy. "Come in, come in…" They heard all the footsteps go back into Hagrid's hut, and then there was silence in the garden.

"Now what?" Harry asked.

"We'll have to hide in here," Hermione replied. "We need to wait until they've gone back to the castle. Then we wait until it's safe to fly Buckbeak up to Sirius's window. He won't be there for another couple hours… Oh, this is going to be difficult…" The sun was slowly setting, and Hermione was looking anxious.

"We're going to have to move," Liza said. "We've got to be able to see the Whomping Willow, or we won't know what's going on."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. "But we've got to keep out of sight, remember…" The three led Buckbeak through the forest and found a clump of trees to hide behind where they could still see the Whomping Willow.

"There's Ron!" Harry exclaimed, pointing. They watched as Ron ran after Crookshanks and Scabbers, finally diving on top of Scabbers. Harry, Hermione, and Liza were chasing after him.

"There's Sirius!" Harry added, noticing the large dog come running out from under the Willow tree. "Looks even worse from here, doesn't it?" Harry continued. "Ouch—look, I just got walloped by the tree—and so did you guys—this is _weird_…" Suddenly, the tree froze.

"That was Crookshanks pressing the knot," Hermione whispered.

"And there we go," Harry finished. "We're in." The tree began to move again. Then they heard footsteps nearby, and Hermione sat up in alarm.

"It's Dumbledore and those Ministry people," Liza reported, watching the group of them parade back up to the castle.

"Right after we'd gone down into the passage!" Hermione moaned. "If _only_ Dumbledore had come with us…"

"Macnair and Fudge would've come too," Harry said. "I bet you anything Fudge would've told Macnair to murder Sirius on the spot…" The group of men entered the castle a few moments later. There was silence for a couple minutes until the front door of the castle opened again.

"Here comes Lupin!" Harry gasped. Lupin ran over to the tree, found a long broken branch, and used it to hit the knot at the base of the tree trunk. The tree froze, and Lupin hurried down the hole.

"It only he'd grabbed the cloak," Harry said. "It's just lying there…" He turned to Hermione. "If I just dashed out now and grabbed it, Snape'd never be able to get it and…"

"Harry, _we mustn't be seen_!" Hermione repeated.

"How can you stand this?" Harry whispered heatedly. "Just standing around and watching it happen?" He stopped to take a breath, and said, "I'm going to grab the cloak!"

"Harry, _no_!" Liza scolded. Hermione grabbed the back of his robes, which was lucky, because Hagrid had just burst out of his cabin, a bottle of something in his hand. He was singing loudly and happily as he walked up to the castle.

"_See_?" Hermione said. "_See what would have happened?_ We've got to keep out of sight!"

"No, Buckbeak!" Liza said, pulling on Buckbeak's rope. He had seen Hagrid and had once again attempted to run to him. Harry and Hermione grabbed the rope again, holding the hippogriff back. Hagrid disappeared inside the castle, and a little more than a minute later, Snape came running out of the front doors. He stopped when he neared the tree, then looked down. He found the cloak and held it up.

"Get your filthy hands off it," Harry muttered.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed. Snape, meanwhile, used the same stick as Lupin to hit the freezing knot, and then he, too, disappeared under the tree.

"So that's it," Hermione said. "We're all down there…and we've just go to wait until we come back up again…" She took the end of Buckbeak's rope and tied it to a nearby tree. Then she sat on the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest. Liza sat down cross-legged next to her.

"Harry," Hermione started, frowning in thought, "there's something I don't understand… Why didn't the dementors get Sirius? I remember them coming, and then I think I passed out…there were so many of them…" Harry sat down as well.

"I was trying to produce a Patronus," he explained. "But there were so many dementors flying around that I couldn't concentrate… The dementors got to us… There was one right in front of me, it grabbed me and started to pull me towards its face… Then all of a sudden, there was a bright light and this large silver thing that flew towards the dementors, and they all retreated."

"But what was it?" Liza asked, confused.

"There's only one thing it could have been, to make the dementors go," Harry replied. "A real Patronus. A powerful one."

"But who conjured it?" Hermione questioned. Harry didn't answer. "Didn't you see what they looked like?" Hermione pressed. "Was it one of the teachers?"

"No," Harry replied distantly. "He wasn't a teacher."

"But he must have been a really powerful wizard," Liza said, "to drive all those dementors away…"

"If the Patronus was shining so brightly, didn't it light him up?" Hermione said. "Couldn't you see…?"

"Yeah, I saw him," Harry said. "But…maybe I imagined it… I wasn't thinking straight… I passed out right afterward…"

"_Who do you think it was_?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I think…" Harry said. "I think it was my dad." Liza's and Hermione's jaws both dropped.

"Harry, your dad's—well—_dead_," Hermione said softly.

"I know that," Harry said, nodding.

"You think you saw his ghost?" Liza asked, trying not to sound too excited.

"I don't know," Harry answered. "No…he looked solid…"

"But then…" Hermione started, but Harry interrupted her.

"Maybe I was seeing things," he said. "But…from what I could see…it looked like him… I've got photos of him…" After a moment of silence, Harry added, "I know it sounds crazy."

After that conversation, the three Gryffindors stayed silent. Hermione kept her eyes on the Willow, waiting for the group to come out, while Liza watched Buckbeak to make sure he didn't try to run away. Harry was also looking at the Willow, but Liza was pretty sure that he was only thinking about his dad.

"Here we come!" Hermione announced at last. They had been sitting in the dirt for over an hour. Hermione got to her feet, and Harry and Liza did the same. They watched as the group came out from under the tree and started up to the castle.

"Harry, we've got to stay put," Hermione warned. "We mustn't be seen. There's nothing we can do…"

"So we're just going to let Pettigrew escape all over again…" Harry muttered darkly.

"How do you expect to find a rat in the dark?" Liza asked. "There's nothing we can do. We came back to help Sirius; we're not supposed to be doing anything else."

"_All right_!" Harry hissed, looking annoyed. They turned their attention back to the group walking up to the castle and saw the three people in the front stop suddenly.

"There goes Lupin," Hermione said. "He's transforming…"

"Hermione! Liza!" Harry said. "We've got to move!"

"We mustn't," Hermione said, "I keep telling you…"

"Not to interfere!" Harry finished for her. "Lupin's going to run into the forest, right at us!" Hermione and Liza exchanged anxious looks.

"Quick!" Hermione said. Liza hurried to untie Buckbeak's rope. "Quick! Where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors will be coming any moment…"

"Back to Hagrid's!" Harry said. "It's empty now—come on!" The three students broke into a run, Buckbeak following. They reached Hagrid's house, and Harry pulled the back door open, holding it for Hermione, Liza, and Buckbeak to run inside. Harry entered last, closing the door behind them. Fang barked in greeting.

"Shh, Fang, it's us!" Hermione said. She scratched his ears to calm him down. "That was really close!"

"Yeah…" Harry said. He looked out the window. "I think I'd better go outside again, you know. I can't see what's going on—we won't know when it's time…" Hermione looked at him suspiciously. "I'm not going to try and interfere," Harry reassured her quickly. "But if we don't see what's going on, how're we going to know when it's time to rescue Sirius?"

"Well…okay, then," Hermione agreed. "Liza and I'll wait here with Buckbeak…but Harry, be careful—there's a werewolf out there—and the dementors…" Harry nodded, then exited the hut. There was a few moments of silence.

"You know what he's planning on doing, right?" Liza said. Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I know he believes that was his father that saved us," she said, "but his dad is dead. I don't know what he expects to see. It was probably a teacher… Oh, he better not be seen!"

"Come on," Liza said. "We have to go back out there. We have to make sure Harry doesn't do anything stupid." So the girls exited the cabin again, walking slowly and listening hard for any sign of Lupin. They were approaching the far side of the lake when they heard Harry bellow something, and there was a bright light.

"What was that?" Hermione moaned. She broke into a run, Liza pulling Buckbeak along after her. Harry was standing on the bank of the lake, and he whipped around when he heard them approach him.

"_What did you do_?" Hermione hissed. "You said you were only going to keep a lookout!"

"I just saved all our lives…" Harry said. "Get behind here—behind this bush—I'll explain." Then he told the girls about how he'd thought he'd seen his dad cast the Patronus, but he'd actually seen himself do it. He told them that the Patronus he produced had taken the form of a stag, and it had driven all the dementors away.

"Did anyone see you?" Hermione asked when he'd finished.

"Yes, haven't you been listening?" Harry replied impatiently. "_I _saw me, but I thought I was my dad! It's okay!"

"Harry, I can't believe it…" Liza said, shaking her head and smiling. "You conjured up a Patronus that drove away all those dementors! That's very, _very_ advanced magic…"

"I knew I could do it this time," Harry explained, "because I'd already done it… Does that make sense?"

"I don't know," Hermione said, biting her lip. Then she looked across the lake and gasped, "Look at Snape!" Harry and Liza looked around the bush to see Snape levitating their unconscious bodies onto stretchers. Then he turned and led the five stretchers back up to the castle.

"Right, it's nearly time," Hermione said. "We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anybody realizes we're missing…" They waited for a few minutes.

"D'you reckon he's up there yet?" Harry asked. He was concentrating very hard on the castle.

"Look!" Hermione said, pointing to the castle steps. "Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle!"

"Macnair!" Harry said. "The executioner! He's gone to get the dementors! This is it…"

"Buckbeak," Liza called, getting the hippogriff's attention. He came over to them, and Liza pulled herself up onto his back. "Hermione," Liza said, holding her hand out. Harry helped Hermione up onto Buckbeak's back to sit in front of Liza. Harry got on last, in front of Hermione, and tied the end of Buckbeak's rope to his collar.

"Ready?" Harry said. "You two better hold on…" Hermione seized Harry around his waist, and Liza held onto Hermione's robes. Harry softly kicked Buckbeak in the side, and the hippogriff took flight, soaring into the air.

"Oh, no," Hermione moaned. "I don't like this—oh, I _really_ don't like this…" Harry coaxed Buckbeak to fly over to the castle. After a few minutes of flying by the windows, Harry pulled on the rope.

"Whoa!" he said. Buckbeak stopped, keeping them airborne in place. Harry looked around, and then pointed to one of the windows. "He's there!" he announced. He reached forward and knocked on the glass. Sirius looked up, his mouth open in disbelief, and jumped up. He ran to the window and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Stand back!" Hermione yelled through the glass. She took her wand out, and Sirius retreated away from the window. "_Alohomora_!" she cried, pointing her wand at the window. It opened immediately, and Sirius hurried back.

"How—how…?" he asked, looking at the three of them sitting on Buckbeak.

"Get on—there's not much time," Harry said. "You've got to get out of here—the dementors are coming—Macnair's gone to get them." Sirius quickly pulled himself out of the window and threw a leg over the hippogriff behind Liza.

"Go, Harry!" Liza called once Sirius was on Buckbeak's back.

"Okay, Buckbeak, up!" Harry said. "Up to the tower—come on!" Buckbeak began to fly again, rising up above the castle. Harry had Buckbeak land on top of the tower, and Harry, Hermione, and Liza dismounted.

"Sirius, you'd better go, quick," Harry said. "They'll reach Flitwick's office any moment, they'll find out you're gone."

"What happened to the other boy?" Sirius asked. "Ron?"

"He's going to be okay," Liza replied. "He's still out of it, but Madam Pomfrey says she'll be able to make him better."

"Quick," Hermione said anxiously. "Go…"

"How can I ever thank…"

"GO!" Harry, Hermione, and Liza insisted. Sirius chuckled, taking the rope and pulling Buckbeak around.

"We'll see each other again," Sirius said. "You are—truly your father's son, Harry…" He kicked Buckbeak gently, and the hippogriff soared into the sky. They watched as the pair flew away, and soon they were gone.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: One chapter left to go!**_


	16. Chapter 16 Mission Accomplished

_**A/N: I thought this chapter was going to end up being shorter than it was. And I know I just uploaded the last chapter, but I was in a writing groove, so I just kept going.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

**Chapter 16 – Mission Accomplished**

"Harry! Liza!" Hermione exclaimed as she looked at her watch. "We have to hurry. We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the hospital wing without anybody seeing us—before Dumbledore locks the door…"

"Right," Liza said. She looked at Harry, who was still watching the sky. "Harry?"

"Okay," he said. He forced himself to turn away from the sky. "Let's go…"

They hurried from the tower and down the spiral staircase. When they reached the door to the corridor, they stopped, hearing voices. It sounded like Snape and Fudge again.

"…only hope Dumbledore's not going to make any difficulties," Snape's voice said. "The Kiss will be performed immediately?"

"As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors," Fudge replied. "This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the _Daily Prophet_ that we've got him at last… I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape…and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I expect he'll want to tell the _Prophet_ exactly how you saved him…" Harry stiffened, and Liza put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay," she breathed. "Sirius escaped." Snape and Fudge continued down the corridor, and Harry, Hermione, and Liza started down the hallway in the opposite direction. They raced down a few sets of stairs and were halfway down a corridor when they heard a noise ahead of them.

"_Peeves_!" Harry hissed, grabbing Hermione's and Liza's wrists and pulling them into an empty classroom. They heard Peeves bounce past them, sounding upbeat.

"Oh, he's horrible," Hermione muttered. "I bet he's all excited because the dementors are going to finish off Sirius…" She glanced at her watch and gasped, "Three minutes!" They waited for a few more seconds to make sure that Peeves had passed by before resuming their run down to the hospital wing.

"Hermione—what'll happen—if we don't get back inside—before Dumbledore locks the door?" Harry said, breathing heavily.

"I don't want to think about it!" Hermione said. "One minute!" They had finally reached the corridor outside of the hospital wing. "Okay—I can hear Dumbledore," Hermione said. "Come on!" She led the way down the hallway, and they stopped outside the hospital door, where Dumbledore was standing, talking to the versions of them who were still inside.

"I am going to lock you in," he was telling them. "It's five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." He shut the door and pulled his wand out to lock the door. Harry, Hermione, and Liza bounded forward. Dumbledore looked at them and grinned.

"Well?" he asked.

"We did it!" Harry replied. "Sirius has gone, on Buckbeak…"

"Well done," Dumbledore said. "I think—Yes, I think you've gone too—get inside—I'll lock you in…" Harry, Hermione and Liza quickly entered the hospital wing to find it empty except for Ron, who was still unconscious in his bed. The three students all climbed quietly back into their beds just before Madam Pomfrey came out of her office.

"Did I hear the headmaster leaving?" she asked. "Am I allowed to look after my patients now?" She shoved chocolate into all three of their hands and glared at them as they quietly started to eat it. They were on their four piece when they heard an angry yell from somewhere above them.

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey gasped. She stared at the door as the yelling grew louder. "Really—they'll wake everybody up! What do they think they're doing?"

"He must have Disapparated, Severus," they heard Fudge saying. "We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out…"

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape screamed. His voice was very close to the hospital wing. "YOU CAN'T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARTE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS—HAS—SOMETHING—TO—DO—WITH—POTTER!"

"Severus—be reasonable…" Fudge said. "Harry has been locked up…" Suddenly the doors burst open, and Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore entered the hospital.

"OUT WITH IT, POTTER!" Snape shouted. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Professor Snape!" Madam Pomfrey cried. "Control yourself!"

"See here, Snape, be reasonable," Fudge repeated. "This door's been locked, we just saw…"

"THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT!" Snape roared, pointing at Harry, Hermione, and Liza.

"Calm down, man!" Fudge commanded. "You're talking nonsense!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER!" Snape bellowed. "HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT…"

"That will do, Severus," Dumbledore said. "Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds?"

"Of course not!" Madam Pomfrey snapped. "I would have heard them!"

"Well, there you have it, Severus," Dumbledore continued. "Unless you are suggesting that Harry, Hermione, and Liza are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further." Snape, looking angrily between Fudge and Dumbledore, didn't say another word. A moment later, he turned on his heel and stomped out of the hospital wing.

"Fellow seems quite unbalanced," Fudge said. "I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore."

"Oh, he's not unbalanced," Dumbledore replied. "He's just suffered a severe disappointment."

"He's not the only one!" Fudge said, shaking his head. "The _Daily Prophet_'s going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now is for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out, and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Ministry…"

"And the dementors?" Dumbledore asked. "They'll be removed from the school, I trust?"

"Oh yes, they'll have to go," Fudge answered. "Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy… Complete out of control…no, I'll have them packed off to Azkaban tonight… Perhaps we should think about dragons at the school entrance…"

"Hagrid would like that," Dumbledore commented, smiling at Harry, Hermione, and Liza. Then he and Fudge left the ward, and Madam Pomfrey shut and locked the doors behind them again. She demanded that the students eat some more chocolate, and then she went back to her office.

A few moments later, they heard a noise from the other end of the room. They all looked over to see Ron sitting up, looking confused.

"What—what happened?" he asked. "Harry? Why are we in here? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?" Harry, Hermione, and Liza exchanged looked.

"You two can explain," Harry said, reaching out for some more chocolate.

**~LJ:WF~**

Madam Pomfrey released them from the hospital wing the next day at lunchtime. They were surprised to find that the castle was nearly empty. Now that exams were over and the weather was nice, there had been another Hogsmeade trip scheduled. Hermione, Liza, and Ron decided to stay back at the castle with Harry. They were also now free to roam the grounds, as Fudge had sent the dementors back to Azkaban, so the four Gryffindors decided to go out and enjoy the sunshine.

They took a seat on the grass near the lake and watched the giant squid wave its tentacles out of the water. Then Fang bounded up to them, trying to lick their faces, and Hagrid followed, looking ecstatic.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night," Hagrid said. "I mean, Black escapin' again, an' everythin'—but guess what?"

"What?" they all said.

"Beaky! He escaped!" Hagrid announced. "He's free! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed, and the other three nodded in agreement.

"Yeah…can't've tied him up properly," Hagrid said. "I was worried this mornin', mind…thought he mighta met Professor Lupin on the grounds, but Lupin says he never ate anythin' las' night…"

"What?" Harry said, pretending he didn't understand what Hagrid had said.

"Blimey, haven' yeh heard?" Hagrid asked. He lowered his voice and continued, "Er—Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'… Thought everyone'd know by now…Professor Lupin's a werewolf, see. An' he was loose on the grounds las' night… He's packin' now, o' course."

"He's _packing_?" Harry asked.

"Why?" Liza added.

"Leavin', isn' he?" Hagrid replied. "Resigned firs' thing this mornin'. Says he can't risk it happenin' again." Harry jumped up.

"I'm going to see him," he said. Liza stood, as well.

"I'm coming with you," she said. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look.

"But if he's resigned…" Ron started, and Hermione said, "Doesn't sound like there's anything we can do…"

"I don't care," Harry said. "I still want to see him. We'll meet you back here." He gestured to Liza, and the two of them hurried back up to the castle.

**~LJ:WF~**

They found Lupin's office door open, and they could see him inside packing his things. Harry reached out and knocked on the door. Lupin turned around to look at them.

"I saw you coming," he said, gesturing to the Marauder's Map.

"We just saw Hagrid," Harry said. "And he said you'd resigned. It's not true, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is," Lupin replied. He began to pull items out of his desk drawers.

"_Why_?" Liza asked. "The Ministry of Magic don't think you were helping Sirius, do they?" Lupin stood and walked to the door. He shut it before answering her.

"No," he said. "Professor Dumbledore managed to convince Fudge that I was trying to save your lives. That was the final straw for Severus. I think the loss of the Order of Merlin hit him hard. So he—er—_accidentally_ let it slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast."

"You're not leaving just because of that!" Harry exclaimed.

"This time tomorrow," Lupin said, smiling sadly, "the owls will start arriving from parents… They will not want a werewolf teaching their children. And after last night, I see their point. I could have bitten any of you… That must never happen again."

"But you didn't bite us," Liza insisted. "And you always take your potion, you said so yourself! Last night was just a…special circumstance."

"You're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" Harry added. "Don't go!" Lupin shook his head. Harry and Liza watched him silently empty a few more drawers before Lupin spoke again.

"From what the headmaster told me this morning, you save a lot of lives last night, Harry," he said. "If I'm proud of anything I've done this year, it's how much you've learned… Tell me about your Patronus."

"How d'you know about that?" Harry asked.

"What else could have driven the dementors back?" Lupin replied. Harry repeated the story back to Lupin about his Patronus.

"Yes, your father was always a stag when he transformed," Lupin said when Harry was finished. "You guessed right…that's why we called him Prongs." Then he picked something up and handed it over to Harry. "Here—I brought this from the Shrieking Shack last night. And…" He paused before picking up the map and giving it up as well. "I am no longer your teacher, so I don't feel guilty about giving you back this as well. It's no use to me, and I daresay you, Liza, Ron, and Hermione will find uses for it."

"You told me Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs would've wanted to lure me out of school," Harry said. "You said they'd have thought it was funny."

"And so we would have," Lupin replied, closing up his case. "I have no hesitation in saying that James would have been highly disappointed if his son had never found any of the secret passages out of the castle." There was a knock on the door, and Harry put the cloak and map inside his robe pockets.

Lupin opened the door, and Professor Dumbledore was standing there.

"Your carriage is at the gates, Remus," he reported.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Lupin said. He picked up his things.

"Liza, would you accompany Professor Lupin down to his carriage?" Dumbledore asked. Liza nodded. Lupin paused and looked at Harry.

"Well—good-bye, Harry," he said. "It has been a real pleasure teaching you. I feel sure we'll meet again sometime." He held out his hand to shake Dumbledore's, and then gestured to Liza to follow him.

"How are you feeling?" Lupin asked her as they set off for the Entrance Hall.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Liza shot back, giggling. "I'm fine. It's just hard to keep the fact that I'm a Potter a secret. I just want to know everything about my parents, and I can't even ask."

"I'm sorry that you had to find out that way," Lupin said. "Sometimes I have a problem keeping my mouth shut. But James and Lily were some of my closest friends; some of my only friends." He looked down at Liza. "You're a lot like them, you know. You have fierce loyalty to your friends, so fierce that you would even risk getting in trouble to yell at a teacher, just like your father. And like your mother, you try to see the good in people. You befriended a Slytherin against your fellow Gryffindors' mistrust for them, and you stuck up for me, a werewolf." Liza smiled, flushing.

"Sirius knew who I was right away, just like you did," she said. "He talked to me briefly, just before…"

"I transformed," Lupin finished. "Yes, I wondered why it took you two an extra minute to get out from under the tree."

"He offered Harry a place to stay," Liza said. "So he was apologizing that he couldn't offer me one, as well, since nobody can know who I am." She sighed. "This is going to be hard."

"I know," Lupin said. "But you just stay friends with Harry. Try and protect him at all costs. When the time is right, you'll be able to tell him who you are." Liza smiled and nodded. They had reached the Entrance Hall. Lupin opened the castle door and Liza followed him out onto the steps. One of the horseless carriages was waiting for him.

"Thank you for everything this year, Professor," Liza said.

"Thank you, Liza," Lupin replied. He smiled, nodded, and then got into the carriage. Liza waved as the carriage pulled away from the steps.

**~LJ:WF~**

The end of term came quickly after that. The whole school was abuzz about what had happened the night that Sirius had escaped. Malfoy in particular was upset about Buckbeak's escape, insisting that Hagrid had somehow found a way to help the hippogriff get away.

There were a lot of students who were disappointed that Lupin had resigned, as well.

"Wonder what they'll give us next year?" Seamus said at lunch one day.

"Maybe a vampire," Dean said. The two boys laughed, and Liza shook her head at them.

"Poor Lupin," she said to Hermione. "He was so worried about people being afraid of them that he didn't think of the students who would want him to stay."

On the very last day of term, the students received their exam results. Liza had passed every one of her subjects, as had Hermione, Harry, and Ron. Fred and George celebrated in the common room that afternoon for managing to get three O.W.L.s, while Percy strutted around, boasting about his perfect N.E.W.T. scores.

That night was the end of term feast, and Gryffindor managed to win the House cup for the third year in a row. The Great Hall was decorated in gold and red, and the Gryffindors celebrated late into the night, enjoying their final evening of the year.

**~LJ:WF~**

The next morning, the students boarded the Hogwarts Express with all their belongings. Liza, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got a compartment to themselves. As the train began its journey back to London, Hermione made an announcement.

"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast," she said. "I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."

"But you passed your exam with three hundred and twenty percent!" Ron said in disbelief.

"I know," Hermione said, "but I can't stand another year like this one. That Time-Turner, it was driving me mad. I've handed it in. Without Muggle Studies and Divination, I'll be able to have a normal schedule again."

"You're sticking me in Muggle Studies to deal with Ernie alone!" Liza pretended to complain. Hermione smiled.

"I still can't _believe_ you didn't tell us about it," Ron pouted. "We're supposed to be your _friends_."

"Shut up, Ron," Liza said, shaking her head.

"I promised I wouldn't tell _anyone_," Hermione added. She looked at Harry, who was watching the castle disappear from view, and said, "Oh, cheer up, Harry!"

"I'm okay," Harry reassured his friends. "Just thinking about the holidays."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about them too," Ron said. "Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. Liza will be there, too. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now…"

"A _telephone_, Ron," Hermione corrected. "Honestly, _you_ should take Muggle Studies next year…"

"I can just ask Liza, she's still taking it," Ron said airily. "It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."

"Yeah…I bet the Dursley'd be pleased to let me come," Harry said, looking a bit more cheerful. "Especially after what I did to Aunt Marge…"

"How about a game of Exploding Snap?" Liza suggested, pulling her deck out of her bag. "I need to get a new deck soon, this one's getting a bit worn…" Ron, Harry, and Hermione agreed, and they continued to play with the cards until the food trolley arrived.

A couple hours after they'd eaten, Hermione looked out the window and gasped.

"Harry," she said. "What's that thing outside your window?" Harry stood up and peered through the glass. Then he opened the window, put his arm out, and grabbed the small thing that was floating outside their window.

"It's an owl," Harry said after he shut the window again and let go of the tiny bird. It dropped a letter onto the seat and began flying around the ceiling of their compartment. Crookshanks looked up in interest, and Ron quickly grabbed the owl.

"It's from Sirius!" Harry said excitedly, ripping the letter open.

"What?" Ron, Hermione, and Liza all said together.

"Read it aloud!" Ron added.

_Dear Harry,_

_I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post._

_Buckbeak and I are in hiding. I won't tell you where, in case this owl falls into the wrong hands. I have some doubt about his reliability, but he is the best I could find, and he did seem eager for the job._

_I believe the dementors are still searching for me, but they haven't a hope of finding me here. I am planning to allow some Muggles to glimpse me soon, a long way from Hogwarts, so that the security on the castle will be lifted._

_There is something I never got around to tell you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Fireblot_—

"Ha!" Hermione interrupted. "See! I _told_ you it was from him!"

"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" Ron said. "Ouch!" The little owl had bit Ron's finger, hooting excitedly.

_Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather._

_I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you._

_I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable._

_If ever you need me, send word. Your owl will find me._

_I'll write again soon._

_Sirius_

Harry looked into the envelope that the letter had been sent in, and he pulled another slip of paper from it.

_I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, herby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on the weekends_.

"That'll be good enough for Dumbledore!" Harry said. He glanced back at the letter and then said, "Hang on, there's a P.S."

_I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat._

"Keep him?" Ron asked. He examined the owl for a moment before holding it out for Crookshanks to sniff. "What d'you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?" Crookshanks let out a loud purr. "That's good enough for me! He's mine."

The rest of the ride back to King's Cross was uneventful. When the train pulled into the station, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Liza all hopped down and collected their trunks. They joined the group of students heading back into the Muggle world, and once on the other side of the barrier, they met up with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Mrs. Weasley gave them all hugs.

"I'd better go," Harry said. "Uncle Vernon doesn't want to be kept waiting." Liza's eyes widened as she realized that Harry's aunt and uncle were also her aunt and uncle. She thought back to the end of their first year, when Harry's aunt had looked at her and looked as though she'd seen a ghost.

"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron promised as he, Hermione, and Liza said good-bye to Harry. He turned and wheeled his trolley towards his uncle.

"I've just spotted my parents as well," Hermione said. "I should probably meet up with them. But I'll see you in a couple of months!"

"Nonsense, you're coming to the World Cup, too, if Dad can manage it," Ron scoffed, and Liza and Hermione looked at him in surprise. Liza hugged her other friend good-bye, and Hermione headed off to meet up with her parents.

"That was actually really nice of you to invite her along, Ron," Liza commented as they stood with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, waiting for the rest of the Weasley children to show up. Ron's ears went red.

"It's been known to happen," he muttered. Liza chuckled. Soon, Ginny, Fred, George, and Percy had all caught up with them, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley led the group out of the train station. Liza grinned, hoping that this summer would be the best one yet.

**~LJ:WF~**

_**A/N: That's all for this story! The next one will be called Awake and Alive, and I'm probably going to start it right away because I'm in such a writing mood. Thanks to anyone who read this story, I hope you enjoyed it! And I hope you like the next one if you decide to read that one, as well. Ta!**_


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